


The Return of Hope

by ReySkyrissian (ErinacchiLove)



Series: The Return of Hope & Appendices [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Flirting, Budding Love, Episode IX ish, Everything A Goddamn Ordeal In Area Family, F/F, Family Feels, Family Reunions, Fix-It of Sorts, Force Ghosts, Force hijinks, Force-Sensitive Finn, Gen, Hot Chocolate, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi Leia Organa, Kylo Ren is a murderous piece of Bantha shit who needs to go down, M/M, Old Married Couple, POV Multiple, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Prince Finn, Rey Calrissian-Skywalker, Space Gays, Stormtrooper Rebellion, Team as Family, in this house we love and appreciate Finn, space lesbians, this is a gays only event go home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 04:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 68,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13287102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErinacchiLove/pseuds/ReySkyrissian
Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....STAR WARSEpisode IXThe Return of HopeAfter narrowly escaping from Crait with their lives,the remaining members of the brave RESISTANCEseek help on Bespin.As the threat of the First Order riseswith their new SUPREME LEADER,the fate of the galaxy lies with Rey and Finn.To find what it takes to end the new tyrannical regime,the two friends must discover new thingsabout their pasts....





	1. Rey I

**Author's Note:**

> This fic turned out to be a lot different than what I had originally planned. Original idea was to just get Reyrose and Finnpoe happen, but then I came up with the Bespin plot and things started to develop from there. POV's switch a lot but main focus is on Finn and Rey.
> 
> Paige Tico lives. How? I don't know. But if Leia can survive in a void and Mary Poppins herself back to a Resistance cruiser with the Force then Paige too can survive. Because I said so.
> 
> I've done my best to write Rose as the character she should've been written, not whatever crap Rian Craig pulled. She had so much potential and I'm fixing all the wrongs. 
> 
> Huge thanks to MistakenMagic for the title ♥  
> Summary edited July 12th, to match the traditional title crawl
> 
> [And look at this beautiful edit ladyoakenshields made](http://kvberhearts.tumblr.com/post/169719061049/lukelando-rey-family-picspam-inspired-by)  
> [Official playlist](http://reycalrissianskywalker.tumblr.com/post/172361400396/star-wars-theme-city-in-the-clouds-journey)  
> Enjoy!

Rey shut the door of the _Millennium Falcon_ after the last two members of the Resistance (General Leia and a black-haired girl in a khaki suit) had got in. After checking quickly with Chewie that everything in the cockpit was alright she went to see Finn. They had so much to catch up with. After their embrace Finn had returned to the cave to carry out a badly injured Poe Dameron with another Resistance pilot. Rey had counted them as they had got in. There were no more than thirty of them left.

     The Resistance members had crammed themselves in the lounge. In one corner the golden droid named Threepio was catching up with Artoo. Finn had settled Poe on the couch and was now covering him up with a blanket that the black-haired girl offered him. Rey tilted her head. Those three no doubt shared a long story. The girl looked up at Rey when Finn sat next to Poe, smiled and walked to her.

     “Hi,” she said. “I’m Rose, Rose Tico.”

     Rey returned the smile. “I’m Rey.”

     “I know,” said Rose. “Finn has told me all about you and I’ve wanted to meet you ever since.”

     “How do you know Finn?” asked Rey, hoping she didn’t sound jealous. If she did, Rose didn’t seem to catch it.

     “I ran into him down the escape pods in one of the now destroyed Resistance cruisers,” she answered. “At first I thought he was bolting but then he explained that he was trying to get the portable beacon away, so on your return the First Order wouldn’t catch you.” Rose’s smile became rather sheepish. “And then my stun gun went off by itself on him. I must’ve accidentally pulled the trigger when I was putting it away.”

     Ouch. Rey glanced at Finn who was now stroking Poe’s hand. He clearly had experienced a rough time, even without getting stun gunned. Rey decided not to dwell on it when she looked back at Rose and asked, “What has been going on while I was away?”

     The pair sat down as Rose started to tell about the battle where she had lost her sister Paige (who, it turned out, had been captured by the First Order instead of having been perished and who she and Finn had rescued) and her operation with Finn first on Canto Bight and then on Snoke’s ship.

     “Wait,” interrupted Rey. “You were there while I was there?”

     “You were there too?!” exclaimed Rose. “What were you doing there?”

     Now it was Rey’s turn to tell about her training on Ahch-To, her not-so-successful plan to try to convert Kylo Ren back to light, her fight on Snoke’s ship and finally ending up to fight on Crait. Rose was a very good listener, though she did make gagging noises when Rey brought up Kylo Ren. Not that Rey didn’t agree, and the reaction was actually rather endearing. It was also relieving that Rose didn’t shame her for her very badly misplaced fool’s hope.

     “Yeah, that plan did not work out,” Rey admitted. “Next time I see him I’ll introduce his stupid face to the soles of my boots.”

     “You can also borrow my stun gun if you want,” offered Rose with a sly grin. Rey giggled and then felt something nudging her leg. She looked down and saw BB-8. The droid made happy beeps when Rey greeted him with a joyous yell.

     “Yeah, I’m fine,” Rey told the droid. BB-8 beeped more. “You rescued Finn, Rose, and Paige? That was so brave!”

     Rose hummed in an affirming manner. “None of us would be here if it wasn’t for BB-8. I’m so glad Poe let him go with us.”

     Rey looked back at Rose. “So what happened there? He doesn’t look very good.”

     Rose sighed as she glanced at Finn and Poe, and BB-8 made a series of sad beeps. “Finn was going to take out the big cannon but Poe pushed him out of the way. I don’t know if he’ll survive if he doesn’t get medical attention soon.”

     “Which is why,” interrupted Leia, and sat next to Rose, “we need to figure out where we’ll go now.”

     Rey nodded and led her and Rose to the _Falcon’s_ cockpit. Chewie got up to hug Leia and growled.

     “According to Chewie the closest systems are Hoth, Bespin, and Mustafar,” said Rey. Next to her Chewie nodded vigorously and then added something to Leia.

     Leia nodded and turned to Rey and Rose. “Chewie suggests we go to Bespin. It’s our best chance to get medical care for those who need it. Hoth is an ice planet, and Mustafar is highly volcanic. And,” she suddenly looked wistful, “we have an old friend there. He needs to know about Luke, among other things.”

     “Is the place Resistance-friendly?” asked Rose.

     “It should be,” answered Leia. “Lando was a general during the time of the old Rebellion, and I think the people of Bespin remember what happened when the Empire infiltrated the place some thirty years ago. I can’t imagine many of them are First Order sympathisers.”

     Rey and Rose looked at each other. Rose shrugged, and Rey nodded.

     “Bespin it is then,” said Rey. “Chewie, do you need me here or can you manage?”

     Chewie assured Rey that while the _Falcon_ was still on lightspeed he didn’t need her to pilot. Rey smiled and nodded. “Okay then,” she said. “I’ll go see Finn now. I’m dying to catch up with him.”

     Before she turned to the hallway that led to the lounge she heard Rose tell Chewie that in case he needed a pilot and Rey was busy, her sister Paige could cover for Rey.

     Finn was still sitting next to Poe on the couch and was now talking to the pilot who had helped him to carry Poe to the _Falcon_. Rey now recognised that the pilot was Paige Tico; she could see the family resemblance. Also Paige had a matching crescent necklace to Rose’s. Rey cleared her throat and hoped she wasn’t badly interrupting anything.

     Finn got up and hugged Rey again. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said with a shaky voice.

     Rey nuzzled as close to Finn as was physically possible. “You’ve no idea how much I missed you. Not a day went by that I didn’t wonder if you were already up and about.”

     Paige muttered something about needing to chat with Lieutenant Connix and took her leave. Soon after that Rey and Finn broke apart.

     “How is he?” asked Rey, nodding at Poe.

     “Not so good,” sighed Finn. “Are we heading somewhere with medical care?”

     “Yeah,” answered Rey and sat next to Finn on the couch. “We’re going to a planet named Bespin. General Organa – Leia – said that she and Chewie have a friend there.”

     Finn started to stroke Poe’s hand again. “There’s… something I should probably tell you,” he said, not meeting Rey’s eyes. Rey frowned. Finn was clenching his other hand, trying to find words… and suddenly the realisation hit Rey like a bolt of lightning.

     Rey placed her hand on Finn’s shoulder. “You’re in love with Poe, aren’t you?”

     Finn bit his lip and nodded. “I… he… we… we kissed after he’d saved my life on Crait, and I… I did know I loved him but didn’t realise how much until now. I hope… I hope you’re not hurt.”

     Rey patted Finn’s back and then rest her head against his shoulder. “I’m not hurt. For some time I thought that maybe I am in love with you but… well, I do love you, but I don’t think I love you _like that_.”

     Finn let out a relieved sigh and finally met Rey’s eyes. “I love you too, but not _like that_.”

     Rey giggled. “Oh, I did miss you so much. And don’t worry, Poe will be okay. We should be in Bespin soon.”

     “Good.” Finn suddenly grinned. “So, you met Rose, right?”

     “I did,” answered Rey. “She’s cute. I heard you two wreaked havoc on Canto Bight and that you were on Snoke’s ship while I was also there.”

     “I’m sorry, what?!”

     And so Rey told Finn the story she had already told Rose. Finn seemed like he was unable to decide what shocked him the most, Rey’s foolhardy plan, Kylo Ren murdering Snoke, or just the fact that Rey had been there in the first place.

     Finn and Rey sat on the couch while watching over the sleeping Poe for a good while until BB-8 rolled in and let out a series of frantic beeps.

     “What is it?” asked Finn.

     “Bespin,” said Rey. “I better go to the cockpit. BB-8, can you stay here with Finn?”

     BB-8 beeped affirmatively. Rey got up, but just before she’d run to the cockpit she halted and turned to Finn. “Will you be okay here?”

     Finn nodded. “If I need anything between now and landing, I can always ask Paige or Kaydel. Go pilot this pile of junk!”

     Rey grinned and ran back to the cockpit after she informed the remaining Resistance members about their headings. Rose and Leia were still in there. Apparently Rose had fixed the cockpit’s air conditioning and Chewie was beaming and kept telling Rey that they had to employ Rose as their full-time mechanic if they all survived this war.

     “Chewie likes you,” Rey said and translated all of Chewie’s praises to a blushing Rose. “Where now?”

     “Fly low, let the _Falcon_ appear on Cloud City’s radar,” instructed Leia.

     Something inside Rey jerked awake. Cloud City, why did it sound so familiar? She steered the _Falcon_ into the clouds and then let Chewie take the lead as he seemed to know where they were going. Soon Rey was able to see a floating city in the distance, and the nagging feeling inside grew stronger. This place was familiar, only she didn’t know why. It was a beautiful place. The floating gas made the sky appear soft pink and the floating city something right out of a dream.

     The comlink rattled and a male voice started to speak.

     “ _Approaching ship, announce your name and cargo_.”

     “Lando?” Leia leaned over Rey’s shoulder and spoke right into the comlink. “This is Leia and the _Falcon_. Let us land, we have a badly injured man on board!”

     “ _Leia? Goodness, it’s been ages_ ,” the male voice sounded now a lot more cheerful. “ _Landing board HKT-48 is free. The medical wing is ready for your injured man. I’ll see you soon!_ ”

     “Thank you, Lando,” answered Leia. “I have news for you, about Luke.”

     A deep sigh rattled in the comlink. “ _Let’s talk about that face to face_.”

     “I thought so too,” said Leia. “We’ll see each other in a moment.”

     Two pilot ships appeared on each side of the _Falcon_ , leading them to the landing board HKT-48. The city stood on top of a floating formation that looked like a mushroom. Rey made her approach to the landing board slowly, until the pilot ships took their leave, giving her room to land. There was already an envoy waiting, led by a black man in a blue suit. Leia let out a relieved sigh.

     “That’s Lando,” she said. “Come on, Chewie, I think it’s best you carry Poe out.”

     Chewie growled and went to the lounge to fetch Poe. He was still unconscious and had started to look too pale. Rey clenched her fist. If only she had been able to take Kylo Ren out, Poe might not have been lethally hurt like this, if only… No, Rey told herself firmly. The First Order was to blame, and Poe was still alive. She would get her chance at revenge later.

     Chewie rushed out with Poe in his arms, closely followed by Finn and Leia. The rest of the Resistance members had only suffered minor wounds and could all walk out on their own. Rey and Rose went out the last, after making sure everyone got out fine. The nagging feeling in Rey’s gut still hadn’t gone away. Why did she feel like she ought to know this place? Jakku was the only world she had ever known and it was in no way comparable to this beautiful place, floating up in the clouds.

     Poe had been placed on a floating stretcher and the medical staff of Cloud City was examining him. Next to them Leia greeted Lando. Rey tilted her head. Even Lando seemed eerily familiar. He had a kind but somehow sad face and greying hair that had obviously once been black, and though Rey tried not to stare, her gaze kept returning to him.

     “I’m so glad you’re alright,” Rey heard Lando say to Leia. “I heard about Han. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for the memorial service.”

     “You probably also heard how it happened,” said Leia grimly, and Lando nodded, equally grimly.

     “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but then I remembered what _he_ did to Luke’s academy. Speaking of whom–”

     “Mr Calrissian, we’re ready to transport the injured,” interrupted one of the medical staff. Lando nodded and sent them away. Finn and Paige went with them, Finn insisting on staying with Poe, and Paige said she’d tag along as support. Leia gestured them to go. In the end only Rose and the three droids stayed on the platform with Rey, Leia, Chewie, and Lando.

     “Rey, are you okay?” asked Rose quietly. Rey realised that she had been clenching her hands.

     “I don’t know,” Rey whispered back. “I have a nagging feeling in my gut, like I ought to remember something.”

     Lando turned back to Leia, crossing his arms. “As I was saying, you said you had news about Luke? Have you found him?”

     “We have,” answered Leia, and had a faint smile on her lips. “Though he didn’t agree to come back, not yet. There’s also something else.”

     Leia turned to look at Rey. Lando followed her gaze and gasped. Rey’s right hand scrabbled in the air for something to grab until Rose took and squeezed it gently. Rey and Lando stared at each other and both of them seemed to have lost their ability to speak. Rey’s heartbeat had increased and she felt like she was on the verge of remembering something.

     “Rey?” Lando managed to say at last.

     “Um, yes?” was the only thing Rey was able to get out. Lando reached out, probably attempting to touch her cheek, but pulled back. The gesture seemed somehow so familiar that Rey had to ask, “Have we met before?”

     Lando covered his mouth with his hand and sniffled. He looked back at Leia and said with a thick voice, “It’s her. Her mouth twitches just like the way I remember it did, when she thought she was in trouble.”

     Rey frowned, both at Lando’s words and Leia’s little sigh of relief and smile. “Could someone tell me what is going on?” she asked.

     Lando wiped the corner of his eye. “Right, you wouldn’t remember, of course. You were so young when you were taken from Luke and me. You couldn’t have been older than five.”

     Rey’s mouth fell open a bit and she felt tears appearing in her eyes. As Lando gently took her left hand (Rose was still squeezing her right, which she was thankful for), Rey didn’t need to hear what he said next. She already knew the truth in her heart.

     “Rey.” Lando’s lips were quivering but he managed to smile. “I’m your father.”

     Rose let go of Rey to hide her face in her own hands. Rey couldn’t tell for sure but it sounded like she was sobbing. Across Lando’s shoulder Rey saw also Leia wiping her eyes.

     “Did you know?” Rey asked her.

     “I guessed,” answered Leia. “But I wasn’t completely sure until now. After all, you weren’t older than five when you were taken away, and Han and I didn’t see you very often before that, what with our own jobs.”

     Rey felt a twist in her gut. Han, the man she had grown to regard as a father figure before his murder. Had he guessed as well? He must have. But why hadn’t Luke said anything? Had he known, or had he just not recognised her? Rey had so many questions, but then she looked back at Lando who was still holding her hand, and she decided to leave questions for a later moment.

     Chewie placed his hairy paw on Rose’s shoulder and escorted her and the droids inside, giving the new-found family time to bond. Artoo beeped at Rey, telling that they would go back for Luke eventually. Rey flashed the droid a small smile.

     “Can I hug you?” asked Lando.

     Rey sniffled and nodded. And for the first time in too many years she embraced her father. She was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey's parentage will be discussed further in upcoming chapters. I made myself cry during the revelation scene because just when I was writing it my iTunes decided to start playing Binary Sunset. It fucking knew what was up.
> 
> Poe and Rose's role reversal in the battle of Crait is due the fact that imo Poe pushing Finn out of the cannon's way made more sense. All my love to Rose though.
> 
> Also yeah, Luke's not dead either, he's just taking a very long nap. Force-projecting yourself across the galaxy is hard.
> 
> Chapter names edited to indicate pov characters. 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated ♥


	2. Finn I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yas, finally finished! TW for brief mention of past child abuse.
> 
> This chapter is Finn pov and I have to say that I loved writing him ♥ also added some tags^^
> 
> If I were to name the chapters this one would be called "Everyone Appreciates the Fuck out of Finn" xD
> 
> Enjoy!

Finn was sitting in the waiting room, hands crossed. Dr Kalonia had promised she’d bring the news instantly when there was something to tell, but even so Finn was anxious. Oh, it was ridiculous, Poe hadn’t been in the operation room for longer than ten minutes, tops, and Dr Kalonia knew his medical history. Poe was in the best possible hands, but even so. Paige had started to pace in front of Finn. She’d even taken off her gloves to bite her nails. It brought Finn slight consolation; that he wasn’t the only one who was worried.

     Finally Paige sat down next to Finn and slapped her forehead. “Ugh, this is stupid,” she groaned. “I _know_ these things take time.”

     “Now I know how Poe must have felt when I was in a similar condition.” Finn clenched his hands, trying to find something to do with them.

     Paige patted his shoulder with sympathy. “When you were…” she gestured at the operation room, and Finn understood, “Poe would sit in the waiting room and fix the jacket for you. He didn’t have many missions so he had all the time he needed. He wouldn’t even respond when spoken to.” Paige snorted a laugh. “It was so sweet that none of us pilots would even try to talk to him unless we absolutely had to.”

     Finn had to smile at that. Unfortunately he had lost the jacket in the First Order dreadnought, but knowing that Poe had still regarded it as something important was oddly comforting.

     In front of his eyes Finn could still see the whole thing; himself, speeding for the cannon, to block it, to stop the battles once and for all… and suddenly, Poe rushing in with his own speeder, pushing him out of the way just as the cannon went off.

     _Finn had to take a moment to clear his head. Poe’s speeder had landed a few metres from him, and it was smoking. No, no, no, not again, Finn had already thought he had lost Poe on Jakku, he couldn’t lose him here too, he couldn’t…_

_Finn pulled his seat belts off and despite the First Order Walkers approaching he ran to Poe’s speeder. Poe was still in there, there was blood in his face and his breathing seemed ragged. Finn climbed up and pulled Poe’s seat belts off as well. Poe coughed and his eyes fluttered open but his gaze didn’t seem to sharpen._

_“Why did you do that?” demanded Finn. “I could’ve done it, I could’ve taken the cannon out!”_

_“But you would’ve died,” spluttered Poe. “And I couldn’t stand the idea of living in a galaxy without you in it.”_

_“What are you saying?”_

_Instead of answering, Poe leaned in and pressed his lips against Finn’s. Finn was too dumbstruck to move, even though he could hear the Walkers approaching. Poe was kissing him, and it felt so good, he never wanted it to end… Poe leaned back and coughed._

_“I love you,” he managed before he lost his consciousness._

Even now Finn wasn’t sure how he had managed to drag Poe back to the Resistance base. He did know that for the last twenty metres or so he got help from Rose and Paige who, putting their own lives at risk, ran to him and helped Finn lift Poe up and get him back inside and finally to the _Falcon_.

     Paige started to fiddle with her necklace just as Rose and Chewie came in. Finn frowned. Rose looked odd, as if she’d been crying. BB-8 rolled over to Finn and nudged his leg with a series of beeps that he didn’t understand, but the tone was clear. The droid was asking after his master.

     “I don’t know, BB-8,” said Finn. “But Poe’s only been in there for a short while. Anything is possible.”

     “Rose, are you okay?” asked Paige, standing up. Rose sniffled and nodded.

     Finn raised an eyebrow at Rose. “What happened?”

     Rose took a deep breath. “I think it’s better Rey tells you. It’s about her after all. But something wonderful happened to her and I’m just so happy for her.”

     Finn let out a relieved sigh. Some good news was exactly what he needed, and Rey being happy was definitely good news. Force knew she deserved it. Finn moved on the waiting room couch so that Rose was able to sit in between him and Paige.

     “So,” said Rose after she had gathered herself, “any news on Poe? How is he?”

     “Nothing yet,” answered Finn and crossed his hands again, leaning against his knees. Rose wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

     “I’m sure he’s gonna be okay,” she said. “He’s survived from much worse, hasn’t he, Paige?”

     Paige hummed. “That’s true.”

     “Yes, Master Poe is quite hardy for a human being,” agreed Threepio. “Although the chances of surviving a cannon blast that large is two hundred–”

     “Shut up, Threepio!” exclaimed Paige, and Artoo beeped and whistled something, apparently in agreement but with very rude words, because Threepio snapped, “How dare you call me that?”

     The group sat in silence for a good while. Kaydel joined them at some point, after having checked that the injured Resistance members were as comfortable as they could, and she had some news about Poe at last.

     “He’s still in operation room,” Kaydel told them, “but his condition is stable. Dr Kalonia thinks he’ll make full recovery once they’re done. You’ll get to see him before long, Finn.”

     Finn buried his face in his hands and received hugs from Rose and Paige and a clap on his back from Chewie. BB-8 nudged his leg again, and Artoo let out joyful bleeps and whistles. Paige even got up and kissed Kaydel full on the mouth and the pair was very blushing afterwards when reality that everyone was staring at them with amusement caught them. Finn knew that Paige and Kaydel had been together forever and couldn’t help but wonder if he and Poe would ever make it that far. If they’d even have the chance.

     Soon after Kaydel’s news Leia arrived, with Rey and Lando Calrissian close behind her. Lando had wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulders, which Finn wasn’t sure what to make of. Rey wasn’t one to let people too close without knowing them, so something had to be going on. She was smiling, though, so as Rose had said, it had to be something good.

     “Any news on Poe?” asked Leia.

     “Yes, General,” answered Kaydel and repeated her report. Leia looked like a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders.

     “Now, would you like some dinner?” asked Lando. “You all look like a good meal would do wonders.”

     Everyone seemed ready to go, but Finn didn’t budge. His stomach growled and the word dinner sounded so good, but what if something happened to Poe and he wasn’t there? He couldn’t just go, not now.

     “Finn? Aren’t you coming?”

     Rey sat next to Finn and tilted her head at him.

     Finn bit his lip. “What if – what if there’s change in Poe’s condition and I’m not here? I need to know, I… I just do. I know Kaydel said he’s stable but what if something happens? Or what if he wakes up and asks after me?”

     “Oh.” Rey turned to look at Lando, who nodded, knocked the door of the operation room and asked something from Dr Kalonia. Finn didn’t hear what transpired so he turned back to Rey.

     “Can I ask what’s going on?”

     Rey raised an eyebrow. “Rose didn’t tell you?”

     Finn shook his head. “No, she said she’d rather you told it.”

     “Ah.” Rey nodded in understanding. “That was very kind of her, though I do kind of hope she would’ve told. I don’t even know how to start, I’m still so blown away.”

     Finn took Rey’s hand with a small smile. “Take a deep breath and let it out.”

     Rey did as Finn instructed and blurted out, “Lando is my father.”

     Finn stared at Rey blankly. To be quite honest he hadn’t been sure what he was expecting to hear, but probably not this, given that Rey had told him that she was practically an orphan. But then again, Rey wouldn’t make jokes or lie about this, and even Leia behind Rey nodded as a confirmation. Finn blinked and hugged Rey.

     “I’m so happy for you,” he said with a smile.

     Rey returned Finn’s smile. “I don’t know the details myself yet, but Lando was married to Luke – actually he never said they divorced, so I suppose they still are.”

     “I like to call it being temporarily separated,” interjected Lando. “Helps me keep hope that Luke returns one day. Anyway, here,” he added and gave Finn a small comlink. “Dr Kalonia will call you if there’s any change in your boyfriend’s condition.”

     Finn blushed at the sound of the word “boyfriend.” Well, it wasn’t as if Lando was wrong, although nothing was official yet.

     “Uh, thank you,” he said.

     “Don’t mention it.” Lando grinned. “To be honest you remind me of myself whenever Luke was in the medical ward for whatever reason. So, you’re Finn, right? The Resistance hero?”

     For a moment Finn felt like he had lost all his ability to speak. A hero? Well, maybe from some point of view, but he sure didn’t feel especially heroic, not by any standards.

     “Um,” Finn cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m Finn. I don’t know about the hero part though.”

     “Don’t be too modest,” said Rey. “I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for you. Besides, your knowledge helped to destroy the Starkiller Base, and that’s no small feat.”

      Finn felt his blush deepening. Lando even shook his hand and said it was an honour to meet him. Then Chewie growled to announce that he was starving. Finn squeezed the comlink all the way to the dining room like a little beacon of hope. It probably wouldn’t beep in a good while, but Finn felt infinitely more at ease with it.

     With a lighter heart Finn was now able to inspect his surroundings. The walls were white and polished but the light was warm (possibly in part due the pink clouds), and Finn found he didn’t feel even slightly uncomfortable. For the first time in a while he felt like he was able to breathe. Maybe this occurred while being so high up in the clouds, he didn’t know.

     The dining room wasn’t too far away, thankfully, because Chewie’s growls had got louder (Threepio would apologise to everyone who heard, for some reason). As Lando was about to open the door, Leia started to laugh for everyone’s confusion.

     “This brings back memories,” she chortled.

     Lando snorted a laugh as well. “Kriff, Leia, did you have to remind me?”

     Leia smiled sweetly at Lando. “I sure hope I won’t find my son lurking in there.”

     At this point Finn noticed that everyone’s faces resembled question marks. Lando shook his head, still shaking from barely contained laughter.

     “I promise you won’t,” he said. “I haven’t seen him since about a year after he turned, when he tried to bully me into revealing Luke’s whereabouts.”

     “What happened?” asked Rey, eyes wide with worry.

     Lando shrugged with a grin. “I told him that I’d find him more threatening if I couldn’t remember him as a two-year-old running around naked here because he didn’t want to take his bath.” He opened the door to reveal just a lavish dining table and no surprise First Order members. “I also told him that I found his grandfather a much more frightening figure. Anyway, please sit wherever you want, this isn’t a formal occasion or anything.”

     Leia shook her head at Lando as she walked past him and muttered something about him having a death wish. The others were still snickering about the mental picture of a two-year-old Kylo Ren running around Cloud City naked, trying to avoid a probably inevitable bath. Finn still wanted to know what memories this setting brought back to Leia, but that could wait. Right now his stomach had started to protest, as seemed to be the case with everyone else as well, so they sat down on whichever seat was the closest and dug in.

     While they ate they told about their escape to Crait; Finn and Rose went over their attempt to infiltrate the First Order dreadnought and how they had found Paige in one of the cells there. Rey joined in with her side of the story and how she’d managed to escape on the _Falcon_ right on time. Leia told about Luke Force projecting himself on Crait (Lando looked like he might’ve burst into tears) and fighting Kylo Ren to buy the Resistance time to escape.

     “And then Rey lifted the rocks blocking our escape route with the Force,” told Rose and was so excited she almost jumped off her chair. “It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen!”

     “Yeah, she stretched out her arm and just… lifted the huge rocks away,” added Finn, mimicking the gesture – and suddenly everyone stared at him with wide eyes. He himself stared at the huge roast beef levitating in front of him.

     Next to him Rey had the widest grin on her face.

     “Finn,” she said with barely contained excitement. “You’re Force sensitive!”

     “What the hell,” was all Finn managed to say. The roast beef was still floating in front of him, even though he lowered his hand. “How do I make this stop?”

     He had barely managed to say that when the beef dropped back on its plate. So, apparently that was how he could make it stop. Finn stared at his hands. This had never happened before… unless… Finn suddenly remembered something from his childhood. How he had levitated a training blaster and had been caught by his trainer and told never to do that again. There had been several beatings included as well, a memory that Finn blocked as soon as it came back to him. No, that was still too painful to deal with. But now he knew why he hadn’t been allowed to do that.

     “This is great!” Rey nudged Finn. “We can train together!”

     Finn laughed. “I think you’ll end up training me.”

     “Nah,” Rey shrugged. “I didn’t have the time to learn enough to train anyone. I might be slightly more advanced at handling a lightsabre, but other than that I think we’re on the same line. Besides,” she pulled up Luke Skywalker’s old lightsabre that was now cut in half, “we don’t even have a lightsabre to train with.”

     “How did that happen?” asked Lando, scratching his head.

     Rey blushed. “It sort of ended up in a tug-of-war between me and Kylo Ren.”

     Lando swore under his breath something that sounded like “I’m going to strangle him” and Finn couldn’t help but respect the sentiment.

     “So, uh,” Rose paused to find the words, “does this mean you’ll take off to train on some obscure planet then?”

     “What?” blurted Finn. “No, of course not! Right?”

     “No, I was thinking that we’d train on our free time wherever the Resistance is,” agreed Rey. “I mean, Resistance can’t really afford to lose any more members.”

     Suddenly Finn felt a tug in his gut and at exactly the same moment his comlink buzzed. Finn nearly dropped it when he turned it on.

     “Yes, Dr Kalonia?” he said.

     “ _Finn?_ ” the entire table could hear Dr Kalonia’s voice. “ _Poe is up and asking after you._ ”

     Finn jumped up, tumbling on his feet a bit, and BB-8 let out some excited beeps. He glanced at Rey, who made shooing gestures with her hands and exclaimed, “Just go! We can discuss our training later!”

     “Do you remember the way to the medical ward?” asked Lando.

     “Yeah, I think so,” answered Finn.

     “Off you go then.”

     Finn ran all the way back to the medical ward, BB-8 in his tow. Poe was up already, he hadn’t been injured that badly after all! Finn felt like his heart was singing.

     Dr Kalonia was already waiting at the door of the medical ward. Finn took a moment to catch his breath while BB-8 was tugging his foot. Then they stepped in together.

     Poe was lying on the bed, bandaged all over, but smiling. He stretched out his arm, obviously asking Finn to take his hand. Finn glanced quickly at Dr Kalonia for confirmation that it was fine to do so.

     “Don’t get him too excited,” said Dr Kalonia. “Otherwise you’re good to go.”

     Dr Kalonia took her leave and Finn sat on Poe’s bed, taking his hand. BB-8 beeped on the floor near them, rolling around as if dancing a victory dance or something.

     “Hey, buddy,” Poe grinned at Finn. “Are you okay?”

     “I should be asking that question,” snorted Finn. “But yeah, I am. Thanks to you. What were you thinking? You could’ve died.”

     “But I didn’t,” shrugged Poe. Damn him, it was impossible for Finn to be angry at him in any way for long. Finn shook his head at Poe but kept smiling. His relief over Poe’s imminent recovery was stronger than any anger he might’ve felt. Besides, seeing BB-8 nearly jumping over the walls was too much fun to watch.

     Finn tore his eyes off BB-8 and turned back to Poe. “My turn. How are _you_?”

     “I’ve been worse,” said Poe. “Can’t remember when, though.”

     Finn huffed. “Well, I am thankful that you saved my life, but maybe next time do something less reckless.”

     Poe made a face. “Well, I love you, so I am reckless!”

     “Well I love you too!” exclaimed Finn before his inner filter caught him. “So don’t do anything like that ever again! I was worried!”

      Poe stared at Finn in silence for a moment. “I believe that’s the first time we’ve said that to each other!”

     Well, second time, but given Poe’s condition during the first one Finn was fairly certain that he couldn’t remember it. Oh well, not that it mattered. Words caught back in Finn’s throat until BB-8 nudged his foot sharply.

     “… I think I’m gonna kiss you now,” said Finn, clenching his right hand a bit.

     “Well you’d better.” Poe straightened his back for better reach. Finn took a deep breath, but his heart was pounding so hard that he didn’t feel any calmer at all. He reached for Poe’s cheek, and Poe whispered, “Go for it, I won’t break.”

     Slowly Finn leaned in until they were so close that he might’ve been able to count Poe’s eyelashes. Damn, he did have really pretty eyes though. Wait no, Finn wasn’t supposed to stay admiring Poe’s eyes now. Poe placed his left hand on Finn’s cheek and closed the remaining distance.

     This kiss really should’ve been their first. It was more peaceful and this time Finn had the nous to reciprocate. Next to them BB-8 was whistling something that sounded like a love ballad, so the kiss was cut short because Poe couldn’t stop himself from laughing. But Finn didn’t mind. They had all the time they wanted to kiss again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Discussing Rey's parentage in the next chapter. I was originally gonna do it in this chapter, but then decided against it. Reason being that Finn was so ignored in his own narrative in TLJ that I decided not to do that in this fic. Finn deserves to have space for his own story (and it's most certainly not over yet, I have so many ideas)
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	3. Rey II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was super taxing, emotionally, for many reasons. Rey's nightmare is somewhat based on my own personal experiences (I was eight and I got locked up in my school gym locker room for an hour and a half and it was the most scared I've ever been), so feedback for this chapter is super appreciated.
> 
> No actual warnings should apply, but the nightmare is kinda claustrophobic.
> 
> Hope you like it^^

Cloud City was the polar opposite of Jakku. Sure, it was colder in climate, but warmer in every other aspect. It was home in every way possible, Rey thought while having her first proper bath in a long while. Lando had taken her to her old quarters and asked if there was anything she’d like to do, and Rey had asked for a bath instantly. So, there she was, in the bathtub, scrubbing years and years of dirt off her skin, still not quite certain how all of this had come to pass.

     The water started to turn grey, so Rey let it out and got up. She would probably need another bath soon, but for now this was fine. She still felt cleaner than ever. She wrapped a soft towel around her and peeked into her old bedroom. Lando wasn’t there, but he had left a pile of new clothes on the bed for her. The giddy feeling inside Rey came back. No one had taken care for her like this in years – well, her early childhood here in Cloud City likely had been the last time. She didn’t know the entire story yet, but what both Lando and Leia had already told her, she had been dearly loved.

     Rey pulled up the garment on top of the pile. It was a light blue shirt with long silk sleeves. Rey had never touched silk in her life, but she had heard of it and this had to be it; it felt as if someone had woven water into cloth. There were also light blue trousers, a silvery belt, and a long vest one shade darker than the rest of the outfit, but still blue, with a white collar. The boots were the only thing to break the colour scheme: they were brown and sturdy, but not the way Rey’s boots on Jakku had been. These were designed for long periods of standing, not trekking across a desert.

     Rey got dressed quickly (the clothes fit so well that it was as if they had been made for her) and started to comb her hair. Ugh, her hair was a real mess. Her buns had become undone in Ahch-To and she hadn’t had the time to redo them. The comb stuck in one of the tangles so painfully that she cursed.

     There was a knock on the door. “Rey?” she heard Lando’s voice. “Everything okay?”

     “Yeah,” replied Rey with an agonised tone. “Comb got stuck.”

     “Do you want me to help?”

     Rey blinked. This was the first time she could remember she’d been offered any help in something so trivial. On Jakku nobody helped anyone unless it profited them somehow, and every time Finn and Rey had helped each other they had been in mortal danger. No one had ever offered to help her comb her hair. Under any other circumstances Rey might’ve refused, but this was her father asking to help her. Wow, just a few hours ago she had thought her family was long gone, and here she was now, the place where she was born, with her father. Well, just one of them, but still. It was more than what she had had for fifteen years or so.

     Rey cleared her throat. “Yeah, okay, come in!”

    The door slid open and Lando stepped in. Rey figured she must have looked very sad, sitting there on her bed, comb stuck in her hair, but Lando didn’t say anything about it, just, “Those clothes look pretty on you”, sat behind her and started to untangle the knots.

     “I used to do this a lot,” he said, and Rey detected some wistfulness in his voice. “When you were small. Luke was hilariously useless at it. Jedi Master and all that, but can’t do a little girl’s hair. The one time he tried to it took both of us several hours and some inappropriate use of the Force to get your hair untangled.”

     Rey giggled at the thought. After that they sat in silence while Lando made short work of every single tangle with gentleness Rey hadn’t known even existed. This felt… good. Safe. Warm. Familiar. Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The Force in her heart was awake again and a bond was forming. No, it was repairing an old bond, Rey realised. She smiled to herself. Now she truly was home.

     “So, you met Luke?” said Lando as he started to braid Rey’s hair. “How was he?”

     “Very grumpy,” answered Rey. “And… sad. I don’t even know if he recognised me, but if you did, surely he should have too?”

     Lando sighed. “When you were taken away from us… Luke took it very hard. He wasn’t the same any more after that. Hardly ever smiled again. Dedicated himself to the New Jedi Academy. I think he started to think of you as dead. And when Ben destroyed the place… I think that was the final straw.”

     Rey clenched her fists at the mention of Kylo Ren. Kriff, she hadn’t given any thought that her being Lando and Luke’s daughter meant that Kylo Ren was, in fact, her _cousin_. The thought alone made her feel nauseous.

     “He lied to me.” Anger seeped from Rey’s voice. “Kylo Ren. He told me my parents were nobodies who sold me for drinking money.”

     Lando let go of the braid crown he had been tying up. “What?! When did he tell you that? And why?”

     “Just yesterday, during our battle at the First Order dreadnought,” answered Rey with a thick voice. “I should’ve known it was a lie. He’s done nothing but hurt me since we ran into each other for the first time on Takodana.”

     Lando put the comb down and hugged Rey. Rey leaned into him and allowed all her barriers come down as she started to weep in her father’s arms.

     “What in the name of Force did he do to you?” pondered Lando, stroking her hair, and Rey sensed that he didn’t expect her to answer. Good, because she didn’t have the power or the heart to tell him how she had been abducted, tortured, manipulated, how she had witnessed the murder of Han Solo, how her first friend had almost been murdered as well…

     Rey shook her head and wiped her eyes. Enough of crying for now. Now, she decided, was the time for all the questions she had been holding inside her. Only she didn’t quite know where to start.

      “What… what was he like?” Rey asked in the end. Lando frowned, so she clarified, “Luke. Before… before everything.”

     Lando fiddled with the strand of hair he had left loose at the back of Rey’s neck.

     “Luke was… the kindest person I’ve ever met,” he said. “We didn’t meet under very good circumstances…” Lando proceeded to tell the tale of what had happened some thirty years ago, how Darth Vader had forced him to detain Han, Leia, and Chewie to set up a trap for Luke, how Luke had lost his hand and discovered that Darth Vader was his father, the beginning of the rescue mission for Han, all that. “He never blamed me for any of it. He was so kind I could hardly bear it.”

     Lando took a deep breath to gather himself again. “We fell in love on Tatooine, during our planning to rescue Han. I’d had some dalliances before him but he was the first person I’ve loved with my entire being.”

     “Has there been anyone else since?” The question slipped from Rey’s lips before she could stop herself.

     Lando laughed. “You. And that’s an entirely different sort of love.”

     Rey blushed. “So, uh, what happened then?”

     Lando got up from the bed and offered Rey his hand. “I think the easiest way is to show you. I have pictures in my room, if you’d like to see them.”

     Rey nodded eagerly and took her father’s hand. Lando’s quarters were right next to hers and the first thing there was to see was the huge shelf full of holo-photos. It was almost overwhelming. This was Rey’s past, right here in front of her, the past she had thought to be lost forever.

     “Here,” said Lando and pointed a picture with three people in it. “This was taken a few days after you were born.”

     Rey took a closer look. Luke had no beard at that point and Lando had only a couple of strands of grey hair, but there was no mistaking them. Rey herself was sleeping in Luke’s arms, so tiny and so peaceful. Lando had his arms around the both of them. They were smiling like nothing could’ve ever shattered that happiness, and given how Rey now remembered Luke, it made her heart ache.

     “You were our ray of sunshine,” Lando told her. “That was why we named you Rey. Rey of Sunshine.”

     “That’s cute,” said Rey, wiping the corner of her eye. She heard a whistle by her leg and looked down. Artoo had joined them, and a good timing too, because the next thing Rey knew Lando had uncovered a holo-video.

     “Would you mind showing this, Artoo?” he asked from the droid. Artoo whistled affirmatively and Lando placed the recording in Artoo’s system. The video started to roll. Rey giggled at the sight of herself, no older than three, playing with a miniature X-Wing Fighter.

     “ _When is Daddy coming home?_ ” the three-year-old Rey asked on the video.

     “ _Any minute now, Sunshine_ ,” answered Lando on the tape.

     “This is going to be good,” said the present-day Lando next to Rey.

     And true enough, the video rolled on for a minute or so until Luke entered the room. He had the beginning of a beard on his face, reminding Rey more closely about how she had come to know him.

     “ _Finally, we’ve missed you_ ,” said video-Lando, hugging Luke. “ _What did you do to your face?_ ”

     “ _I started to grow a beard_ ,” answered Luke with a bright smile. “ _Some of my Padawans said I should because it’d make me look more like a Jedi Master. What do you think?_ ”

     “ _Where’s Daddy?_ ” asked the three-year-old Rey, and present-day Rey snorted.

     “ _Sunshine, I’m right here_ ,” said Luke, picking her up from the floor.

     The three-year-old Rey pointed at Luke and exclaimed, “ _Chewie!_ ”

     Everyone lost it. Rey had to hold her stomach and lean against Lando’s shoulder so that she wouldn’t have fallen over from the laughter.

     “Wait, wait, wait, it goes on,” Lando managed to say in between laughs.

     “ _You know, that’s one sarcastic kid we’re raising here, Lando_ ,” said Luke on the tape.

     The Lando on the tape looked unimpressed. “ _She’s our kid, Luke, what were you expecting?_ ”

     Rey wiped the tears of laughter off her cheeks. She really needed this. She needed the laughter and to hear the words “our kid”.

     “Luke shaved after that,” said Lando, grinning. “At that point Chewie had been the only hairy thing you’d seen, so no wonder you associated being hairy with him.”

     “He’s grown it back now,” stated Rey. “And I’m pretty sure you’re gonna need to have some words with him about it when you see him.”

     Lando stared at Rey with mocked horror. “Is it that bad?”

     “Yep.”

     Lando shook his head and huffed. “That’s what happens when I’m not there to make sure he looks presentable.”

     Rey wasn’t sure what did it, but she had made up her mind. She took Lando’s hand and looked him in the eye. “I’m gonna go back to Ahch-To and bring him back home,” she said. “I’ll drag him back by his ear if I have to. Heck, I’ll have Chewie do that if necessary!”

     Lando snorted a laugh. “Oh, you’re our kid, alright, with that sense for dramatics.”

     Rey’s mouth fell open. “What– that’s a family trait?!”

     “Out of this entire family Han was commonly known as the ‘chill one’,” chuckled Lando. “Well, Leia can control herself in public but in private she’s just as dramatic as the rest of us.”

     Rey rubbed her temple. “It all makes sense now.”

     Then her eyes found another family portrait. This one featured the whole extended family, droids included. It really shouldn’t have shocked her at that point anymore, but even so Rey’s lips tightened when she saw the ten-year-old Kylo Ren in between Leia and Han. They were all smiling, Chewie was holding baby Rey, and Rey couldn’t believe that that happy family no longer existed and would never exist in the same way again.

     “We were all so happy,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “How did it all go so wrong?”

     Lando wrapped his arms around Rey. “Well, you’re home now. That’s what matters to me.”

     “I know, and it should be what matters to me too,” answered Rey. “It’s just… why would anyone do that? Take me away from you? I… I don’t understand.”

     Artoo let out a sad whistle. Lando placed a kiss on Rey’s forehead and said, “I don’t know, Sunshine, but I do know that now that you’re home, we can fix things.”

     Exhaustion washed over Rey all of the sudden. Her posture staggered and she just about stayed awake to say, “Dad, I want you to come with me to Ahch-To. We’ll bring Luke home together.”

     Lando helped Rey on his bed and tucked her in.

     “Yeah, we’ll do exactly that,” was the last thing Rey heard before sleep took her.

     Rey’s dream was black. She could barely see her hands in front of her, let alone the walls of the small room she was in. It was too quiet, wherever she was. Rey couldn’t hear any noises from the outside so there was no way of knowing where she was or how she had got there. Fear swelled in her gut and her breathing became uneven.

     “Daddy? Papa?” she called out and her voice sounded small and childish. “Where are you? Help me!”

     No answer. Panic inside Rey grew. She tried to find a door in the room, but always landed into the wall. She had to get out, she felt like the walls would come down on her any moment. Where were her dads? Why wouldn’t they answer?

     “Daddy! Papa!” Rey screamed again and punched the wall. “Where are you? Help me! Let me out! Please! Let me out!”

     Still nothing. Rey curled up into a ball on the floor and sobbed against her knees. No one would come if her dads hadn’t answered by now. She closed her eyes–

     –and opened them again with a start. It was still dark, but not pitch black like in her dream. Rey turned in the bed and saw Artoo who whistled and beeped, asking if she was okay. Rey’s hands were shaking as she reached for her cheeks. They were wet. She curled up into a ball, like in her dream, but unlike in her dream, she got a response.

     “Rey?”

     Rey looked up and saw Lando. Oh, thank goodness, she hadn’t dreamed the events of the day after all. She let out a breath and answered, “I– I had a nightmare.”

     “Yeah, I thought as much,” said Lando, stroking her back. “Do you want some hot chocolate? It always helped Luke after he had nightmares.”

     Rey had no idea what hot chocolate was but it sounded wonderful so she nodded. Lando turned on the lights and left the room, probably to his own kitchen. Rey breathed into her hands (they felt so cold, why were they so cold), she was alright, she was home, it had been just a nightmare.

      Lando returned a few minutes later with two steaming mugs. The smell coming from them was sweet and more delicious than anything Rey had smelled before.

     “I added some whipped cream as well,” Lando told Rey as he passed one of the mugs to her. The liquid in the mug was brown, with a cloud of white floating over it. Rey stared at it in wonder.

     “It… it looks magical!” she exclaimed.

     “I don’t know about that,” said Lando, but sounded pleased, “but it is good, I’ll give you that.”

     The mug was hot so Rey’s first sip was cautious, and Force the drink really was the most delicious thing she’d ever tried. It was sweet and rich and felt like it warmed her to her very core. She’d definitely want to drink hot chocolate more often from now on.

     “You have whipped cream on your nose,” Lando pointed out, and Rey instantly reached for her nose. She licked the white substance off her finger and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

     “Thanks Dad,” she said and probably wouldn’t even have noticed her words unless Lando hadn’t hugged her at the sound of it. But it did feel good, how the word “Dad” sounded.

     “Do you wanna talk about the nightmare?” he asked as he put the mugs on his night stand.

     Rey bit her thumbnail before answering. “I… I was in a dark room. Like, pitch black. There was no way out and I… I called for you. And Luke. But there was no answer.”

      Lando rubbed his chin. “Luke also had nightmares like that from time to time. Usually they were linked to his past in one way or another. I can’t say I know much about how the Force works, but it might be trying to tell you something.”

     Rey was about to answer but was cut off by the sound of a crash and a loud, “CRAP!”

     “What was that?” she asked.

     “I don’t know,” said Lando. “Let’s go have a look.”

     They got off the bed and Lando opened the door. Rey peeked out to the dim hallway and saw a small figure kneeling in front of an open outlet, mumbling swearwords and waving her hand.

     “Rose?”

     Rose looked up from the outlet. “Oh,” she squeaked. “Did I wake you two? I’m so sorry.”

     “No, no, we were up,” answered Rey. “What are you doing at this time of night?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is Rose pov^^
> 
> [Lando making Rey hot chocolate is based on this post I saw on Tumblr](http://reycalrissianskywalker.tumblr.com/post/160494989481/jediprompts-asexual-obiwan-jediprompts)  
> Apparently Lando taught Luke how to make hot chocolate and I thought it was cute as heck and decided to turn it into a family thing ♥
> 
> Wow, I'm having lots of Calrissian-Skywalker family feels right now~ also Lando and Luke calling Rey "Sunshine" is legit cutest shit I've ever written and I'm so proud of it^^
> 
> [btw Rey's outfit looks like this](http://reycalrissianskywalker.tumblr.com/post/169787149286/me-i-should-write-my-brain-ey-go-to-azaleasdolls)


	4. Rose I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay it's time for the first Rose pov!
> 
> This time there are less feels and more disaster bi/disaster lesbian solidarity xD
> 
> Enjoy!

It really wasn’t fair. Rose knew exactly what she was doing at that time of night, but seeing Rey all of the sudden, in that dashing light blue outfit, made her lose her ability to form coherent sentences altogether. Rose squeezed the hydro-spanner in her hand and cleared her throat several times until she got out, “I– uh– it’s– I mean– _energy leak!_ ”

     “What?” blurted Lando. “Where?”

     Great, she really was useless at this, Rose groaned internally. Out loud she said, “Um, I mean, no energy leak _yet_ , but there is one forming right here.” She showed a pipe inside the wall that was about to be split in half. “I heard it go off and I’ve been trying to fix it but I… it’s hard alone, I can’t screw it and hold it at the same time, let alone weld it.”

     Rey crossed her arms and frowned at the split part, as if she was measuring it up. Lando got up and said, “I need to go file a report on this. Can you two manage on your own until I come back?”

     “I should think so,” answered Rose.

     “Just go, Dad, we’ll be fine,” added Rey and turned back to the pipe, rubbing her chin. After Lando had left, she turned to Rose and said, “I think I have an idea how we’ll fix this. I’ll hold it while you screw it back together.”

     Yeah, as if Rose hadn’t thought of that already, but it was impossible to hold it and screw it at the same time, even if someone else did the holding part. The split was annoying like that, they’d need something more than just an extra pair of hands.

     Rose told Rey this, and Rey grinned.

     “It’s a good thing that I have something more than an extra pair of hands then,” she said. “Time to see how different lifting a pile of rocks is from holding two things together.”

     Oh. Right. Of course. How could Rose have forgotten that Rey was well on her way to become a Jedi on top of everything? Well, the idea was better than any that Rose had had while she’d been trying to fix the pipe, and it couldn’t hurt to try.

     “Work your magic then, Jedi,” Rose smirked.

     Rey sat on the floor and crossed her legs under her. Rose wasn’t quite sure what she was doing but as soon as Rey closed her eyes and placed her hands in front of her as if she were holding the pipe together. Rose turned back to the pipe. It was back together, free for Rose to screw and weld back together. Rose pulled out her tools and got to work. Like this it was a piece of cake.

     “So, uh, how was your day?” asked Rey after they had worked in total silence for a minute or two.

     “It was okay, I guess,” answered Rose and wiped her brow. “I was gonna go see how Poe was doing but he and Finn were… _otherwise_ _occupied_ , and Paige and Kaydel were helping General Organa to do some paperwork, so instead I took a stroll in the city.”

     Rey hummed. “How was it?”

     Rose smiled to herself. Cloud City had been truly magnificent and everyone she had talked to seemed happy with their lives there. She had, for a long time now, hoped for a place to settle in at least semi-permanently, and Cloud City felt like a good option.

     “I asked people about their lives here,” Rose told Rey, “and the biggest complaint they seemed to have was that the scenery gets a bit dull after a year or so. Everyone likes your dad, he’s evidently a really good administrator, and people have good pay and decent working conditions, and, well…”

     “What?” Rey prompted.

     Rose turned to look at Rey. “Uh, basically… I’d love to accept the job you and Chewie offered me and travel the galaxy with you, but I also want a place to settle in if we survive this war and… I’ve been thinking that Cloud City could be that place.”

     Rey opened her eyes and had the brightest smile on her face. Kriff, this really wasn’t fair. Rose had known for a good while now that she liked women, but that still didn’t give Rey the right to be so pretty when she smiled.

     “I have to admit that I haven’t thought that far with my own future,” said Rey, “but it’d be really nice if you lived here. I’ve never had a friend who’s a girl before.”

     “Huh? Not ever?”

     Rey shook her head. “Chances of making friends of any kind were pretty slim on Jakku. Finn is the first friend I’ve ever had, to my recollection anyway.”

     That Rose could easily believe. She and Paige had been a similar condition on Hays Minor after the First Order had colonised it. They had had each other, but that had been it. Still, they had been the lucky ones; at least they had been allowed to stay together even after their parents had been killed and not recruited as Stormtroopers or anything. And things had got better after they had run into Poe and his fellow pilot Snap Wexley who had been on an undercover mission there. Rose couldn’t remember what the mission was about, but she and Paige had been able to persuade the pair to take them along when they returned to the Resistance base. Paige had instantly showed her skills as a pilot and had managed to get Rose her job at maintenance, which Rose was eternally grateful for. But now…

     “Rose?” Rey’s voice interrupted Rose’s reminiscing.

     Rose shook her head and continued screwing. “General Organa spoke about several promotions earlier today. We’re so scarce now that she needs new officers. She said she was considering promoting me into a captain, among other things.”

     “But that’s great!” exclaimed Rey. “Isn’t it?”

     “I don’t know, Rey,” sighed Rose. “I’ve been working in maintenance since Pai-Pai and I were recruited. I’m not a soldier, what do I know about leading?”

     Rey shuffled like she was about to get up and hug Rose, but kept her position in the end, and Rose changed the hydro-spanner to her welding tools. Rey kept holding the pipe together, though when Rose started to weld it she noticed that Rey started to sweat. Huh, the Force sure worked in strange ways.

     “I… I don’t think Leia will start by putting you in charge of your own squadron or anything,” Rey said after a minute or two of silence. “She’ll let you gain experience first.”

     “Yeah, I guess so,” murmured Rose. “But, I mean… I’m so used to being in the background, you know? I’m the girl who ensures that the X-Wings stay in the air, or that no energy leaks occur. I’m… I’m just me, Rose. I’m not some great Resistance hero like you, or Finn, or Poe, or Pai-Pai. Kriff, let alone a legendary Rebel Alliance hero like your dads and aunt and uncle!”

      Rey snorted a laugh. “You know, I’ve learned a thing or two about being a hero in the past few days, and let me tell you that you’re well on your way of becoming a Resistance hero, Rose Tico.”

     Rose blushed. She liked the way it sounded when Rey said her full name, but she sure still didn’t feel like a hero, no matter what Rey said. An awkward silence fell between them once again until Rose finished welding the pipe together.

     “Done!” she exclaimed. “And it’s as good as new, if I may say so myself.”

     Rey slumped against the wall behind her with a relieved laugh. “Thank goodness! That was surprisingly rough!”

     Rose had a sudden surge of courage and sat next to Rey, so close that their hands touched. Rey didn’t pull away, so Rose let her hand rest on Rey’s.

     “We make a really good team,” Rose grinned.

     “Yeah, this was actually fun,” agreed Rey. “Which gave me an idea. I don’t know yet if it can even be done, but if it can… could you try fixing the lightsabre? I’m sure that if Finn and I hold it together with the Force you’d be able to repair it.”

     Rose rubbed her chin. “Well, I guess it could be done, I just don’t know anything about lightsabres.”

     “Me neither, really,” said Rey, “apart from how to fight with one, but I smuggled some old Jedi texts on the _Falcon_. I didn’t have the time to get a proper look at them, but one of them looked like it might’ve been ‘Lightsabres for Dummies’.”

     Rose burst into laughter. “Please tell me it wasn’t actually called that!”

     Rey shrugged. “Might as well have been!”

     Rose wiped the tears of laughter off her cheeks. All of the sudden she felt confident that she might just be able to fix the lightsabre if it was possible to fix it. At least she was willing to give it a shot, there was no knowing if it could be done until she tried.

     “So how about you?” asked Rose. “How does the family life feel?”

     “I don’t actually know yet,” answered Rey. “I mean, it’s great to be home, and I love my dad already, but… well, I guess I’m just not used to being looked after and cared for like this. I had to survive on my own on Jakku, it feels weird to have someone who’s there for me, without any ulterior motives or anything. I felt this way also when I met first met Finn and he saved my life and asked if I was alright. No one had, at least to my recollection, asked me that ever before.”

     Rose hugged Rey. No matter how bad she and Paige had had it, they had still had each other to turn to for comfort. Rey had had no one.

     Rey wrapped her arms around Rose and said, “Thanks, Rose.”

     Rose looked up. “Anytime you need a hug from a friend, I’m your woman.” Wait what? Rose wanted to scream. What had made her say that?! Ugh, Paige was right, she really was terrible at flirting.

     Rey didn’t seem to mind, though. She smiled, winked, and said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

     Rose wanted to cry. Either Rey was being kind or she was just as bad at flirting (or recognising it) as Rose was, or both. Maybe it was both. Rose fiddled her necklace and decided to change the subject.

     “Have you figured out what you want your last name to be yet?”

     Rey groaned and leaned her head against the wall. “Ugh, no. I keep debating between Calrissian-Skywalker and Skywalker-Calrissian, but I can’t decide which one sounds better.”

     “I like the sound of Rey Tico,” said Rose under her breath.

     “What?” blurted Rey.

     “What?”

     Rey opened and closed her mouth in turn, trying to come up with something to say. Rose had a voice that sounded a lot like Paige screaming “ _What the kriff was that?!”_ inside her. Thankfully, _thankfully_ , that was when Lando returned, and Rose could swear she had never been so happy to have anyone interrupt anything in her life.

     “I sure didn’t think I’d have to do paperwork at this time of night,” stated Lando and yawned. “I take it you two managed to fix the pipe?”

     “Yeah, well, it was mostly Rose,” said Rey and waved her hand in a dismissive manner. “I just held the pipe together with the Force, the fixing part was all Rose.”

     “Can I take a look?” asked Lando with a smile.

     Damn, he really has a nice smile, thought Rose. Aloud she said, “Yeah, of course. If I may say so myself, it’s as good as new.”

     Lando knelt down to see the result, and turned back a few seconds later, staring at Rose in awe. “As good as new? Rose, it’s even better than it was when it was new! Thank you! How did you do that?”

     Rose shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve always been good at fixing things and in the Resistance I’ve had to fix things a lot, I guess.”

     “Wow, well, if you want a job here as the head of my maintenance department after the war, the place is yours.”

     Rose stared at Lando, her mouth having fallen open. “What– are you serious? Are you offering me a job?”

     “I’m dead serious,” said Lando. “With your skills most of the energy leaks in this facility could be preventable. Also, didn’t you say you heard it go off?”

     “Um, yeah.” Rose cleared her throat. “Well, not actually hear, but, uh… Paige, my sister that is, calls me engine sensitive. Like Force sensitive, but for engines and mechanical stuff.”

     “Now I’m absolutely convinced that if the lightsabre can be fixed, you can pull it off,” grinned Rey, and Rose developed a sudden interest in the tip of her own shoes. Wow, so much was happening so fast that her head had a hard time keeping up with it all.

     Rose breathed and looked back at Lando. “I’d like to accept the job offer, but I do have one condition.”

     “Sure, name it,” answered Lando.

     “Well, the thing is,” said Rose slowly, “that on our way here I fixed the _Falcon’s_ air conditioning and Chewie offered me a job as the _Falcon’s_ mechanic. I’d love to do both so basically I want to be able to travel with Rey and Chewie whenever they need me.”

     Lando crossed his arms and nodded. “That’s fair. We can discuss the details if we survive the war, but for now I accept your condition.”

     Lando offered Rose his hand and she shook it without hesitation. She even might’ve danced a little if she had been alone. Oh well, she could always do that later.

     “Anyway,” said Lando, “I’m gonna turn in now. Rey, do you wanna sleep the rest of the night in your own room or…?”

     “I’ll sleep next to you this night,” answered Rey. “I’m not gonna keep doing that but for the first night I’d love to sleep next to my dad. I mean, it’s the first time in fifteen years or so.”

     “Are you coming, then?”

     “In a minute.” Rey turned to look at Rose. “I’ll chat with Rose for a moment longer, but I’ll be right there.”

     Lando returned to his quarters after bidding Rose good night and thanking her again. Rose couldn’t stop smiling and as soon as Lando had disappeared she turned to Rey and exclaimed, “An actual Rebel Alliance hero offered me a job! I can’t believe it! I’ll be in charge of the whole maintenance department!”

     “I know, and because of it I get to spend more time with you,” said Rey, with a faint blush on her cheeks. “Anyway, I wanted to thank you as well, for the company and the great chat. I hope we’ll become good friends because I really like you, Rose.”

     Rose blushed as well. “I really like you too, Rey. Oh, by the way, I thought about your last name dilemma a bit and I like the sound of Rey Calrissian-Skywalker.”

     Rey let out a surprised noise, and for a moment Rose thought she over-stepped her boundaries. But instead Rey hugged her.

     “Calrissian-Skywalker it is then,” she said. “Thanks for that as well. I think Dad will be delighted.”

     Rose giggled at the mental picture. “Well, glad I was able to help you with that. Do you have any plans for… you know, your other father?”

     Rey nodded and her smile vanished. “I’m gonna return to Ahch-To and drag him back home by his ear if I have to. I hope it won’t come to that though. Dad will be coming with me, and I was planning on asking Finn to come as well.”

     Rose rubbed her neck. If that was the case, she wanted to take a proper look at the _Falcon’s_ hyperdrive before the trip. It was most likely just fine, after all, it had belonged to Han Solo, but it never hurt to look and see if there was any room for enhancements. Rey agreed when Rose told her about her idea.

     “Yeah, you’re right,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt to take a look. And I’ll see if the lightsabre can be repaired.”

     “’Lightsabres for Dummies’, I can’t believe there’s a book like that,” giggled Rose, and Rey laughed as well.

     “I can honestly hear all the past Jedi masters rolling in the Force,” chortled Rey.

     After saying that Rey looked around, as if she was expecting so see some very angry ghosts. Evidently there were none because she relaxed and hugged Rose. Wow, that was their third hug that night, and Rose liked it so much. Rey was so warm.

     “Anyway, I think I should turn in,” said Rey when they parted. “Are your quarters nearby?”

     “Yeah, just around the corner,” answered Rose. “We’ll see each other in breakfast, right?”

     Rey nodded. “Good night, then.”

     “Good night,” said Rose and before she was able to stop herself, she gave Rey a quick peck on her cheek. Rey blushed and Rose screamed internally. “Um, I’m just… gonna go now. Night!”

     Wow, Rose really, really was useless at this. She’d have to apologise in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if there's any proper backstory on how Rose and Paige joined the Resistance, but that was my hot take on it.
> 
> Also if my plans keep, we're gonna see some Force ghosts in the future^^


	5. Finn II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time we meet some very old friends^^ I loved bringing Anakin and Obi-Wan back, they were a real delight to write about ♥
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Finn’s back hurt when he headed for breakfast the next morning. Well of course it did, he scoffed at himself, that’s what happens when you sleep on a chair next to your boyfriend’s sickbed. Finn hadn’t meant to sleep there, he just… had happened to fall asleep there. Bad idea, next time Finn would head to bed. Poe had said the same and had added that he wished he could get up already, but Dr Kalonia insisted on bedrest at least for the next week or so.

     Finn opened the door of the dining room. Rose, Paige, and Kaydel were already there but none of them were eating. Rose had pressed her forehead against the table and it seemed that Paige and Kaydel were trying to find out what was wrong. Finn sat next to Paige and tried to figure out what to say. Thankfully Paige helped him out there.

     “Oh, hi Finn,” she said. “Had a good night?”

     “Would’ve been better if I hadn’t slept on a chair,” sighed Finn. “I wasn’t even planning to sleep there, I just fell asleep.”

     Paige grinned. “Poe did that too, just so you know.”

     Well, hearing that sure made half of Finn’s backaches go away, that Poe was just as silly as he. With a lighter mood Finn asked, “What’s wrong with Rose?”

     “Uuuuugggghhhhh,” groaned Rose as a response.

     Kaydel shook her head. “She won’t tell, she just groans. But it can’t possibly be as bad as that.”

     “Yes, it can,” said Rose and finally lifted her head off the table. “I kissed Rey on her cheek last night. Why in the name of the Force did I do that?! I must’ve been out of my mind!”

     Finn frowned. “What’s the problem with that? If I know Rey at all I’m sure she thought it was a sweet gesture.”

     Rose leaned back, hid her face in her hands, and groaned again. Okay, Finn wouldn’t get a proper answer from her for a good while. Speaking of Rey, he’d have to ask her if they would start their Jedi training already or if she had other plans. Finn stretched out his hand and tried to make a pear float to his plate. It almost worked; the pear did rise and started to float towards him, but fell on the table at half-way. Finn huffed and tried again. This time the pear made it to its goal, and Paige applauded.

     “I’m gonna have to practise the floating thing,” chuckled Finn.

     “Well, given that this is only your second time I thought it went pretty well,” Paige grinned and grabbed some bread. “So,” she added, still chewing, “are you and Rey gonna start training soon?”

     Finn shrugged. “I’ll ask her as soon as I see her.”

     Rose took her hands off her face. “That reminds me, she told me last night that she smuggled some old Jedi texts on the _Falcon_. Maybe you’ll start by reading those. And…”

     “What?” Finn prompted.

     Rose rubbed the back of her neck. “Rey’s gonna see if the lightsabre can be fixed. One of the books she smuggled was apparently ‘Lightsabres for Dummies’.”

     Finn snorted a laugh into his pear. He’d have to see that book. At the same time the idea that Rey had managed to smuggle old Jedi texts impressed him – actually, just the idea that those still even existed was amazing. During his time as a Stormtrooper Finn had been required to study the history of the old Empire and the Empire had been very thorough in destroying anything related to the Jedi Order.

     The breakfast went on for a while before Leia, Rey, and Chewie joined them. Rose looked like she would’ve run for cover if Paige hadn’t held her hand. Rey blushed upon meeting Rose’s eyes and kept looking down as she sat next to Finn. Okay, think fast, Finn thought and cleared his throat before asking, “Where’s your father?”

     Rey looked up at him and Finn could’ve sworn she looked thankful. “He had to report the almost energy leak from last night to the maintenance department, so he’ll join us later. How’s Poe?”

     “Bored out of his mind,” said Finn. “BB-8 is keeping him company right now. By the way, I learned a new trick.”

     Finn stretched out both of his hands and started to float an apple towards Rey’s plate. This time he managed to hold the fruit in the air all the way. Rey had the widest, most excited smile on her face and she applauded when the apple landed on her plate. On the other side of the table Leia joined her.

     “That was amazing!” praised Rey. “We’ll make a great Jedi out of you.”

     “I do think there’s more to being a Jedi than just floating fruit, though,” said Finn, but kept smiling. They’d have more than enough time to learn how to do more than just float things. “Rose told me you smuggled some old Jedi texts on the _Falcon_?”

     Rey blushed again, and Finn wasn’t sure if it was because of the smuggling or because he mentioned Rose. “Yeah, that happened. But I was planning on starting our training with trying to connect to the Force properly, and then we’ll start going through the texts.” She looked up like she was considering her next words. “Though I have to check the ‘Lightsabres for Dummies’ thing at some point, to see if our only lightsabre can be fixed at all.”

     Finn leaned against the palm of his hand. “We really need our own lightsabres though.”

     Rey nodded, scrunching her face. “Yeah we do. I just don’t know where we’d get all the components. I don’t know a lot about them but I do know that kyber crystals don’t grow in trees.”

     Finn patted Rey’s shoulder. “We’ll deal with that when it’s time. So, when do we start?”

     Rey didn’t have the time to answer when Leia stood up and instantly got everyone’s attention.

     “Since the Resistance suffered great losses recently, I’ve decided to promote each of you here,” Leia announced. “And Poe as well. I will go see him later today and tell him of his new position personally, but I’d like all of you to know that starting this day he will be our new vice admiral.”

     Finn slammed his hand on his mouth. A vice admiral! That meant that Poe would become Leia’s second-in-command!

     “Lieutenant Connix, you I promote into colonel,” continued Leia, and Kaydel smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. “Paige Tico, your new title will be commander. Rey…”

     “I’m still declining mine,” said Rey quickly. “Being a Jedi is enough for me. I’ll let people with actual military experience have the titles.”

     Leia nodded. They had clearly talked about this earlier, and given that Leia was Rey’s aunt it made sense.

     “That leaves us you, Finn and Rose,” said Leia. “I’ve decided to promote both of you into captains. You’ve both impressed me with what you’ve done for the Resistance.”

     Finn completely lost his ability to speak at this point, and the same appeared to be true for Rose as well. Chewie cheered and patted Finn’s shoulder, and Paige did the same to her sister.

     “General, it’s an honour,” Finn managed to say at last.

     Leia smiled. “I would have promoted you sooner or later anyway, our current situation just speeded up the process.”

     Leia then proceeded to explain what each of their jobs would entail. By the sounds of it, becoming a captain meant that Finn and Rose would eventually lead their own squadrons but for now their jobs didn’t change significantly. They were expected to try to recruit more members to the Resistance, take the occasional undercover mission, and actively participate in planning strategies. Finn crossed his hands and pressed them against his mouth. Talking about undercover missions and strategies, he had for a while now entertained an idea, and he wondered if now was the time to share it…

     Rey turned to Finn and said, “I was gonna say that if it’s okay with you, I’d like to start training today, after we’ve finished breakfast.”

     Alright, maybe he’d share his idea later. The Jedi training came first for now. Finn nodded at Rey. “Okay, let’s do it. Where are we gonna train?”

     “We’ll go ask Dad if there’s an empty room that we could occupy for this,” answered Rey. “I’d be surprised if there wasn’t one. I also have a favour to ask of you.”

     Finn sat up. “What is it?”

     Rey clenched her fingers, accidentally making the water in her glass float. “I’ll go get Luke – my father – back home. Dad and Chewie are coming with me, but I wanted to ask if you could come as well.”

     “You mean… to the first Jedi Temple?”

     Rey nodded. “I figured you should see it too, the place where all this began. And… I’ve missed you. I wanna do this together. I don’t know why but… I feel calmer when you’re near me. But if you’d rather stay here to help Leia and look after Poe I understand. And you don’t have to decide now.”

     Finn reached out to press his hand on Rey’s shoulder. “I’ll go. I won’t pretend I understand everything that’s going on with your family, but if I can help you to reunite it I will.” He shrugged. “And I’m also curious about the Jedi Temple.”

     Rey jumped up and hugged Finn. They gobbled down their breakfasts as quickly as they could. The sooner they started their training the better. Finn was already going when Rey turned around and said something to Rose. Whatever it was, it had a happy ending because Rose smiled, and Rey came back smiling as well. Finn was also certain that he noticed a faint blush on Rose’s cheeks.

     “So what was that about?” Finn asked Rey as they walked down the corridor to find Lando.

     “Nothing,” said Rey and blushed.

     “Doesn’t look like nothing to me.”

     Rey rolled her eyes at Finn and gently punched his arm. “Well, if you must know, I thanked her for our talk last night. She helped me decide my last name and everything.”

     Somehow that sounded like a bad excuse, but Finn decided not to push it. Whatever there was going on between Rey and Rose was their business, he wouldn’t meddle unless asked to. So instead of pressing the matter further Finn took a different road. “What is it then? Your last name.”

     “Calrissian-Skywalker,” said Rey. “You won’t believe how happy Dad was when I told him.”

     Speaking of whom, as they turned around the corner they ran into Lando. Well, the timing sure couldn’t have been more perfect. Lando and Rey hugged quickly.

     “I have to run, we’re going to scan all the pipes that are over ten years old,” Lando told them. “Make sure there won’t be any other potential leaks.”

     “Alright, we just wanted to ask if there’s an empty room where we could train,” said Rey.

     Lando rubbed his chin. “Yeah, there’s one near. Walk this corridor until it takes a turn to right and it’s the second door there. You can’t miss it. Luke used to use it for meditation. Are you all set? Apart from the lightsabre, that is?”

     Rey and Finn nodded in unison.

     “Yeah, we’ll start with meditation, actually,” answered Rey.

     “And Rey smuggled some old Jedi texts with her, so we also have something to carry on with,” added Finn, pointing at Rey with his thumb.

     Lando frowned. Oh crap, Finn thought, why did he say that?

     “Wait a second,” said Lando. “Did you really smuggle old and probably priceless Jedi texts here on the _Falcon_?”

     The corner of Rey’s mouth twitched. “Um, I might have?”

     Lando pressed his hand on his chest, near his heart. “I’m so proud of you, carrying on the family tradition like this.”

     Finn and Rey glanced at each other. Neither of them sure expected that. But then again Finn remembered that the mining colony here in Cloud City wasn’t exactly fully legal either, and Lando had been Han’s friend, so he wasn’t sure why he was surprised.

     Lando wished them a good training and went his way. Finn and Rey stood in silence for a moment and burst into laughter.

     “For a moment there I thought I was in trouble,” Rey managed to say.

     “Sorry about that,” answered Finn, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

     Rey took a deep breath to stop laughing. “Don’t worry, you couldn’t have known. Besides, it turned out to be alright. I’d completely forgotten that Dad, too, used to be a smuggler before all this.”

     Well that explained everything. Finn and Rey took a moment to compose themselves again before they took off to find the room they were supposed to train in. Lando had been right: it was easy to find. The door was already open, so they stepped in.

     The walls were white and polished like all the walls seemed to be in Cloud City, but the room seemed even lighter than the others. There was one huge window and sunlight had a free access inside. Finn couldn’t say he knew a lot about the Jedi but he didn’t wonder one second why Luke Skywalker might’ve chosen this room for meditation. The room radiated tranquillity.

     Rey sat on the floor, crossing her legs beneath her. “Alright, let’s start.”

     Finn mimicked Rey’s position as he sat down next to her. “And now?”

     “Close your eyes, and reach out,” instructed Rey, having already closed her eyes.

     Finn did as he was instructed. He closed his eyes and stretched out his right hand. Suddenly he heard Rey giggle.

     “You literally reached out, didn’t you?” she asked.

     Finn opened his eyes again. “Was that wrong?”

     Rey grinned at him. “I did that too on my first try. Apparently that’s not how you connect with the Force, at least according to Master Skywalker.”

     Finn and Rey chuckled at each other for a moment before Rey stretched out both of her arms and Finn mimicked her again. He willed his breathing slow down, straightened his back and tried to feel or sense anything.

     “Can you see anything?” asked Rey.

     Nothing, Finn wanted to answer, but then– WHOA. The feeling was overwhelming. He could see _everything_. The bustling city beneath them, down to the lowest emergency hangar bays, the carbon-freeze chambers, the very core of the city (where he felt Rey dwell for a while for some reason), and the people. The people. Finn saw them all. From all the people he didn’t know to the members of the Resistance. Poe. He could see Poe as clearly as if he’d been right there in front of him. BB-8, too. The droid was rolling around Poe’s room, making sure Poe didn’t feel lonely. And then, suddenly, two new presences very near him.

     Finn jerked, opened his eyes and looked at Rey. Rey was leaning back against her arms and stared at something in front of her, eyes wide and mouth fallen open.

     “Did you feel that too?” Finn asked, though he knew full well the answer. Rey nodded, not breaking eye contact with whatever it was she was staring at. Finn followed her gaze and his eyes widened.

     Right there in front of them now stood two men. But they glowed blue and didn’t seem entirely solid. Finn closed his eyes and opened them again, just to make sure his mind wasn’t making things up. The two men didn’t disappear. The younger of the two seemed oddly familiar but Finn couldn’t figure out why. The older had a white beard and a kind smile. They both wore Jedi robes, so that was what they had to be.

     Rey kept staring at the younger one of the pair until she managed to utter one word, and that word made Finn realise why the man seemed so familiar. The man reminded him of Rey.

     “Grandfather?”

     Anakin Skywalker smiled at Rey. “It’s good to see you, Rey,” he said with a slightly echoing voice, and turned his gaze at Finn. “You too, Finn. It’s thanks to you that Obi-Wan and I can be here now.”

     Finn couldn’t believe it. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi stood right there in front of him and Rey, maybe not exactly alive but they were there.

     Finn and Rey scrambled back up on their feet. Neither of them knew what to say. What did you even say to a Force ghost? And Finn couldn’t help but wonder about Anakin Skywalker. He seemed so kind, not someone who once was the most notorious Sith lord of the Galaxy, and so young, almost too young to have two children, let alone grandchildren. The realisation hit Finn like a blaster bolt. This was not only Rey’s but also Kylo Ren’s grandfather.

     “It has been long since we have been able to manifest any sort of physical form,” said Master Kenobi. “The Dark Side has kept us away.”

     “You… you’re the voice I heard at Maz Kanata’s palace!” Rey breathed. “When I touched the lightsabre. You said something about these being my first steps.”

     “What do you mean, the Dark Side has kept you away?” asked Finn, finally having found his voice again.

     Master Kenobi’s smile was sad. “We started having trouble manifesting ourselves to Luke and his students shortly after Rey’s abduction. It was when the Dark Side started to become increasingly powerful again.”

     Anakin nodded in agreement. “And it became nigh impossible shortly before Ben fell. Ugh, I hated watching it. I tried to call him back but he wouldn’t listen.”

     “Can we please call him Kylo Ren?” asked Rey with an anguished look. Finn wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

     “Of course, I’m so sorry,” Anakin said quickly. Finn could’ve sworn he tried to hug Rey but on the last second remembered that he was incorporeal.

     Finn decided to carry on with the original topic. “So how are you here now? What did Rey and I have to do with it?”

     “You awakened,” answered Master Kenobi. “Both of you, at around the same time. We had to try it a few times to make sure we were able to stay around for longer than a few minutes before meeting you. We have so much to talk about.”

     “You have so much to learn, and fast,” Anakin added. “I wish we had more time. Rey, you have to bring Luke back. You and Finn are the Galaxy’s last hope, but you need a teacher. Obi-Wan and I can instruct you until you’re ready to leave, but without a physical form…”

     Right, they wouldn’t be able to teach fighting techniques effectively, Finn realised. Next to him Rey pulled out the pieces of the lightsabre.

     “Can this be fixed?” she asked. “I was going to see the book on it but now that you’re here…”

     “Let me see,” said Anakin and started to inspect the sabre. “By the way, ‘Lightsabres for Dummies’? I got a good laugh out of it.”

     Rey huffed and mumbled under her breath, “So that was why I thought someone was laughing next to me last night when I joked about it with Rose.”

     Master Kenobi crossed his arms, eyes on Finn, who squirmed where he stood. The old man’s eyes seemed to see right through him.

     “I know what troubles you, Finn,” said Master Kenobi. “It is risky, your idea, but the benefits outweigh the risks if you ask me.”

     “And me,” Anakin put in. “I think the idea is brilliant. Also, this sabre is snapped in half so neatly that you definitely can fix it, but you have to build your own ones.”

     Rey ignored this, raising her eyebrow at Finn. “What idea is this?”

     Finn cleared his throat. “Stormtrooper uprising. I’ve been entertaining the thought for a while now. I think now that I’m a captain it’s time to actually plan it.”

     Finn had to admit that he wasn’t sure how to take in the fact that a former Sith lord called his idea brilliant. But then again, this wasn’t Darth Vader now. This was Anakin Skywalker, Rey’s grandfather (even if he didn’t look much older than her). Finn had heard some old tales and once upon a time Anakin Skywalker had been hailed a war hero, albeit a reckless one.

     Rey bit her lip, head bobbing in thought. “I think you should go for it,” she said at last. “If anyone can pull that off, it’s you.”

     Finn grinned with relief. He would talk the idea through with Poe and Leia as well, later, but for now having Rey’s agreement was all he needed to know the idea wasn’t a complete dud. Of course, like he had said, he needed to figure out a detailed plan, and he needed a squad. But this was a good start.

     “Rey? Finn? Who are you talking to?” they heard Lando’s voice all of the sudden and they all jumped. Lando may not have been Force sensitive but he sure was able to sneak around unnoticed.

     The corner of Rey’s mouth twitched again. “Um… my grandfather?”

     “And Master Kenobi,” added Finn.

     “What?” Lando peeked in and crossed his arms upon seeing Anakin. Finn could’ve sworn that an icy wind blew across the room. Anakin’s mouth was twitching as well, as though he couldn’t decide whether to settle on an awkward smile or not, and he looked like he would’ve been sweating if Force ghosts could do that.

     Anakin coughed. “Lando.”

     “Anakin,” said Lando coolly. At that Anakin finally settled for a smile.

     “Hey, finally!” He turned to Rey and Finn. “I’ve been trying to get him to call me Anakin for years.”

     “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” snapped Lando. “I’m just being polite for the sake of my daughter.”

     Anakin shrugged. “Well, still.”

     “Alright, you two, fight about your disagreements later,” sighed Master Kenobi, and Finn had to agree.

     Lando glared at the old Jedi master. “’Disagreements’? You call him Force choking me _disagreements_?!”

     “It was just that one time!” argued Anakin. “And I’ve apologised a million times!”

     “What family was I born into?” Rey whispered to Finn, who snorted a laugh.

     “Fair enough,” said Master Kenobi, still remaining calm. “But please, fight later. We may not have been able to manifest ourselves for seven years, but we’ve been busy other ways. We’ve been investigating the First Order, and Anakin discovered the plot behind Rey’s abduction.”

     Finn, Rey, and Lando all looked at Anakin, who closed his eyes, evidently to regain his composure.

     “It was all orchestrated by Snoke,” he told them. “The three former Imperial officers who kidnapped Rey acted on his command. Only they were unable to deliver her to him. They crash landed on Jakku on their way back to Snoke.”

     “But why was I left there?” asked Rey.

     Anakin shook his head. “That part is unclear. My best guess is that they traded you for spare parts, and some drinks.” He spat the last two words out, looking like he was ready to commit a brutal murder. The same was true for Lando who wrapped his arms around Rey.

     “Everything suggests that Snoke was planning on using both Rey and Kylo Ren to achieve something,” Master Kenobi concluded the story. “Only his plot failed twice.”

     “When Rey was lost on Jakku,” said Finn, “and when Snoke was murdered.”

     Master Kenobi nodded. “Exactly. Snoke overlooked the fact that above all else, Kylo Ren desires power.”

     Rey scoffed. “If Kylo Ren knew all this, I will kill him. I will actually kill him dead when I see him next time.” She looked at Anakin. “I suppose you think it’s a bad idea and will make me fall like he did.”

     “No, he’s a murderous piece of Bantha shit and he needs to go down,” said Anakin. “But you will need help. You need to have Finn and Luke by your side. If I know my grandson at all, he’ll be regrouping with the Knights of Ren as we speak.”

     Lando frowned. “But how do we persuade Luke to come back? If Rey couldn’t do it…”

     “Luke was in denial back then,” interjected Anakin. “Now that you all know the truth, he will listen. And Lando, you’re his husband. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

     Finn met Master Kenobi’s eyes. “Can you train us until we’re ready to leave to bring Luke back?”

     Master Kenobi nodded again. “We can. And please, call me Obi-Wan. I haven’t been Master since Luke finished his training, and even he never called me that.”

     “So why did I have to do it?” demanded Anakin.

     Obi-Wan looked unimpressed. “I don’t think that’s relevant right now.”

     Finn and Rey glanced at each other. They had teachers now, so that had to count for something. Maybe they could still survive this war.

     After all, they were the Galaxy’s last hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know if Lando would actually be able to see Force ghosts but for the sake of this fic he is able to see them.
> 
> Next chapter is either Poe or Lando pov, I haven't decided yet (the stakes are 60-40 for Poe's favour, he's one of our leads after all).
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	6. Poe I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drumroll* IT'S POE TIME!
> 
> Today, I'm presenting you:  
> Rey Calrissian-Skywalker as: Useless Lesbian  
> Poe Dameron as: The Ultimate Wingman  
> Finn as: The Voice of Reason  
> Anakin Skywalker as: Meddling Invisible Ghost Grandpa  
> with  
> Rose Tico as herself
> 
> Enjoy!

Dr Kalonia was very adamant in keeping Poe in full bed-rest for the entire week, so when she finally announced that Poe could move to a hoverchair, he almost cried from joy. At last he could see something besides the walls of his convalescence room. Poe had been to Cloud City once before with his father, but that had been many years ago. Still, it had been nice to find out that Lando remembered him and even asked how his father was doing, even though Poe hadn’t been able to give a proper answer. His father, Kes Dameron, was leading an underground faction of the Resistance on Yavin 4 and it had been a good while since they had last heard from each other.

     The first thing Poe asked for was to get outside when Finn had helped him get on his hoverchair. He had been getting claustrophobic in the small convalescence room and really needed to see the sky. Fresh air didn’t hurt either. Sometimes Rey and Rose joined them as well, and sometimes Poe attended Finn and Rey’s Jedi training, though for now there wasn’t much to see in it. Either Finn and Rey practised weaponless kata or they meditated. On occasion they’d have very one-sided conversations that at first had freaked Poe (and Rose) out until Finn had explained that they were talking to the Force ghosts of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

     “Do you two have any idea why I can’t see them but for example Lando can?” asked Poe after one of such training sessions. Rey had got into a seemingly one-sided argument with her grandfather (another surprise, though what Poe could recall from his vague memories, Rey did bear resemblance to Luke Skywalker) and Finn had had to break it off.

     “I don’t know,” answered Finn. He paused for a moment, and then continued, “Obi-Wan thinks it’s because Lando has two Force bonds, one with Luke and another with Rey, and they’ve been there for a long time. Maybe you’ll see them too after we’ve been together for twenty years or so.”

     Assuming they even lived that long. The Resistance had seen some bad times during the years, but their current situation was the worst Poe could remember. Just two factions left with only about one hundred people. Well, at least they still had some of their best pilots, even if Snap, Jess Pava, and Karé Kun were on the other side of the galaxy. But even so, thirty people here in Cloud City and about seventy more back in Yavin 4 weren’t much. Their fleet was all but gone and new ships were expensive. Yavin 4 probably still had some spare X-Wing Fighters, but that was about it. Not much to rebuild the Resistance on.

     Still, Poe pulled his weight where he could. Now that he was vice admiral he helped General Organa and Lando (who also had assumed his old role as general again) out as much as he could from his hoverchair, mostly paperwork, but even that was something. Sitting still would’ve been unbearable. Poe needed to do something, _anything_. He was in charge of so much now.

     It was a week after Poe had been released from the medical ward and had got used to moving around in a hoverchair that a holo-message from his father finally came through. Finn and Rey were taking a break from their Jedi training (they were going to train until they both were absolutely certain they knew the Force well enough to hold the broken lightsabre together), and Rose didn’t have any repairs to do, so Lando had decided to teach them to play sabacc. Poe already knew what he was doing, but Rose didn’t seem to have the faintest idea how the game worked, and Finn and Rey weren’t sure they should’ve even been playing, what with their Force sensitivity, but decided to play anyway. Turned out the Force sensitivity wasn’t much of an aid in sabacc.

     “ _Dad!_ I saw the ace up in your sleeve!” exclaimed Rey. “You’re cheating!”

     “Sunshine, that wounds me deeply,” said Lando with mocked offense. “I handle my tricks better than that, thank you very much.”

     “Still! You’re cheating!”

     “Says the Jedi who can literally read minds if she wants to,” Rose pointed out and placed her cards on the table. “I’m out. At least we’re not playing for credits yet or I’d be _so_ broke.”

     “I’m still in,” said Poe, and laid his cards on the table as well, leaning back on his hoverchair, “and I also think I won. I’ve got full house.”

     “Not so fast, Dameron,” Finn interrupted with a smug grin. “Read ‘em and weep.”

     And Poe almost did. Finn had straight flush. Rose developed a sudden fit of hysterical laughter while Rey patted Finn’s shoulder and Lando reached to shake his hand. Poe laughed as well after recovering from the initial shock, and kissed Finn on his cheek.

     “Nice one,” he said. “You sure you didn’t use the Force to cheat?”

     “Let that stay a mystery,” grinned Finn.

     Behind them someone cleared their throat. Poe and Finn turned around to see General Organa, who was holding her holo-pad.

     “Poe, I have a message for you, from your father,” she said.

     “Did you watch it already?” asked Poe. “How was he?”

     Leia shook her head. “I only know that it’s from Kes. Here,” she offered Poe the pad. Poe took it, feeling like it might’ve exploded if he mishandled it. This wouldn’t have been the first time that his father yelled at him for pulling a reckless stunt. Poe sighed and opened the message.

     The hologram of Kes Dameron appeared in front of them. He looked exactly like Poe remembered, maybe a bit more tired than last time they had seen each other, but he seemed to be fine.

     “ _Poe, if you’re watching this, it means this message finally got through all the encryptions_ ,” Kes began. “ _General Organa told me she made you a vice-admiral. I’m so proud of you, my boy! I hope you’re alright and taking your time to recover. I don’t wanna hear that you’ve jumped into the closest X-Wing while not completely up for it._ ”

     Poe snorted a laugh. He recalled that his father had said something similar to his mother, Shara Bey, many years ago, before her untimely death.

     “ _I also have one question for you_ ,” Kes continued. “ _Why does BB-8 keep sending me pictures of you and Finn? Are you two dating? If so, congratulations! If there’s any chance that you two might make it to Yavin 4, please come. I’d very much like to meet the man who saved your life._ ”

     At this point Poe’s face was bright red, and Finn had hidden his face in his hands. A faint beep told them that BB-8 was making a tactical retreat. Next to Finn Rey was shaking from restrained giggles. Poe closed the message and rolled his eyes at Rey.

     “Okay, you laugh now,” he said. “But one of these days your dads will embarrass you too, and I will be there to see it.”

     Rey scoffed. “You’re gonna have to wait a long time for that. My dads would never embarrass me, they are _cool_. They both blew up a Death Star.”

     “I blew up the Starkiller Base,” countered Poe.

     Rey had to take a moment to ponder her counterattack. “Well– my dads are a Rebel Alliance general and a Jedi Master! Ha!”

     “I’m a Resistance vice admiral and my boyfriend is a Jedi/Resistance captain.”

     Rey stood up. “My dads are galactic fashion icons!”

     “Guys, please,” sighed Finn, ever the voice of reason, and right on time too, or else Poe would’ve tried to get up to show off his outfit, and that would’ve only ended in disaster. “Can we please rather concentrate on the part where BB-8 randomly sends pictures across the galaxy?”

     And of course, Finn was right. Poe turned to BB-8 who was just about to roll out of the room, and called him back. BB-8 returned his head down, and if droids could feel shame, Poe was sure it was what BB-8 was feeling at that moment.

     “BB-8, you do realise that sending pictures across the galaxy is dangerous right now?” asked Poe.

     BB-8 responded with beeps that meant an apology. Poe tried to lean down to pat his head, but it turned out to be too painful. He grimaced and straightened his back.

     “Alright buddy, no more pictures to my dad, okay?”

     BB-8 beeped an affirmation.

     “Good,” smiled Poe. “I wouldn’t mind it otherwise, but there’s always a chance that the First Order might hijack any messages that haven’t been encrypted and find us here.”

     “I’d prefer that you asked us first before sending anything,” Finn put in, looking from BB-8 to Poe. “Sure, it’s nice to know that your dad likes me, but I’d also like to know what pictures BB-8 sent him.”

     Another week went by, but no amount of persuasion from Poe or any of Finn’s Force tricks could get BB-8 to show what pictures he sent to Kes. Oh well, it wasn’t as if they had done much besides holding hands and kissing, so at least the pictures couldn’t have been anything too sensitive. By this time Poe also noted that Finn had got more and more confident with the Force. This meant that he and Rey trained even harder. Rey had brought her old staff from the _Falcon_ and they took turns in practising with it.

     Poe, in turn, had started to move around on his own more. While Finn and Rey trained, he sent out encrypted messages to his old acquaintances, anyone who might’ve had any interest in joining the Resistance or who knew of people interested in joining. He also pondered Finn’s idea of stormtrooper uprising. Obviously it was risky, just infiltrating any First Order base was close to a suicide mission, but at the same time Poe understood why Finn wanted to do it. If Finn had been able to break out of years and years of conditioning, maybe there were other troopers like him.

     Finally came the day when Finn and Rey decided that it was time to fix Luke Skywalker’s lightsabre, and it was the day Poe let Finn know of his decision.

     Rey and Rose had carried a table with three chairs to the training hall – Poe didn’t need one, as he was still in his hoverchair – and the four of them had just sat around it (Finn and Rey were facing each other, as were Poe and Rose) when Poe cleared his throat.

     “Finn, I’ve made a decision regarding your idea,” he said.

     “Alright, shoot,” answered Finn, while Rey laid the pieces of the lightsabre on the table.

     “You have my permission – and Leia and Lando’s too – to start the uprising,” said Poe, and Finn reached to kiss his cheek. “But you will need a squadron. I won’t let you go on your own. And I also think you should go on your quest to bring Luke Skywalker back first.”

     Finn nodded. “It’s a deal.”

     “Okay,” said Rose, placing her welder on the table. “I’m all set for this.” She glanced at Rey. “Any Force ghosts around?”

     Rey pointed at air behind her back. “My grandfather is right behind me. He says you can do it, Rose. That _we_ can do this.”

     Poe still had a hard time believing that the actual Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker really was there, but Finn raised his thumb at that direction, so it had to be true no matter what. Rose grinned at the same direction and said, “Well, I can’t see you, but thanks for the confidence. I needed that. This used to be your lightsabre too, right?”

     “Yeah, it was Grandfather’s first,” said Rey. “Then it passed on to my father and now me. Actually…” Rey paused, apparently to listen to whatever Anakin Skywalker had to say. “… actually, my father lost this lightsabre right here, in Cloud City. So it’s… it’s appropriate that it’s also fixed here.”

     Poe shuffled in his hoverchair. The most he knew about the Skywalker family history was old legends and stories and what Leia had told him. There was obviously more to this story than what Rey just told, but Poe wasn’t going to pry. Besides, they were in the middle of something already.

     “Right then,” said Rose after a moment of total silence. “Work your Jedi magic.”

     Finn and Rey took deep breaths and reached out with both hands. In front of Rose and Poe, the two pieces of the lightsabre rose and joined together in what felt like slow-motion. Rose lit her welder and started to put the sabre back together. Poe leaned against the table with his elbows and crossed his fingers. Sure, he had seen both Finn and Rey lift things before, as a part of their training, but this was something else entirely.

     The process took a long time. Rose made slow progress, not wanting to make any mistakes with sloppy welding. Finn and Rey were both sweating, and Finn wavered so much that Poe had to rush in to hold him by his shoulders. As Poe touched Finn, he felt like a bolt of lightning went right through him – but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant. There was a low humming in his ears, but unlike the time Kylo Ren had tortured him for information about BB-8, this humming was gentle, filling him with peace.

     “You can do this, Finn,” said Poe, squeezing Finn’s shoulders. “I’ve got you.”

     And then, like an echo, Poe heard a voice from Rey’s end of the table.

     “Rey, you’re almost done. Keep going.”

     Poe looked up and saw a shimmering blue figure standing behind Rey. With a start he realised that it had to be Anakin Skywalker. But how…? Wait, not relevant at the moment. They were still in the middle of fixing the lightsabre. Rose had only a couple more centimetres to go. Finn felt steadier than a few moments ago, but Poe still didn’t let go of him. They’d see this through together.

     Finally, finally, Rose turned her welder off and raised the goggles off her face with a sigh. “Done,” she announced.

     Finn slumped against Poe’s chest, and Rey’s torso fell on the table. Both were breathing heavily. The image of Anakin Skywalker had disappeared, at least from Poe’s sight. Rose wiped sweat off her brow and turned to Rey.

     “That’s the best I could do,” she said. “I hope it worked.”

     Rey pushed herself back up, taking several breaths before answering, “Well, I sure am not doing that again anytime soon. That was easily the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

     “Same here,” was all Finn managed to say. Poe held him and placed a kiss on his temple.

     “But you did it,” he said. “You all did.”

     Finn turned to Poe with a weary smile. “Couldn’t have managed it without you. I don’t know… when you touched me, I felt this… energy going through me. I can’t explain it better than that, but it gave me power to carry on.”

     “Something like that happened to me too,” said Poe, “but I can’t explain it either. And… for a moment there I thought I saw and heard your grandfather, Rey.”

     “What? Really?” Rey blurted.

     “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know who else it could’ve been.” Poe shrugged. “Shimmering blue, brown hair one shade lighter than yours, oddly handsome…”

     Finn and Rose laughed at Rey’s horrified expression.

     “Ew, Poe, gross! That’s my grandfather!” Rey exclaimed. She looked behind her and said, “And you, this is not funny! And I’m not telling Poe that!”

     “Tell me what?” asked Poe with a wide grin.

     “That he thinks you’re handsome too,” smirked Finn.

     Rey glared at them both. “I swear to the Force, you guys!”

     Rose cleared her throat. “Um, I don’t wanna– actually, you know what? I do want to interrupt you guys. Anyway, can we ditch this extremely weird conversation and actually see if the sabre works?”

     Rose picked the lightsabre up from the table and handed it over to Rey. Rey’s hands were shaking as she got up from her chair, holding the lightsabre like it was a thermal detonator that might’ve gone off any moment. This was it, the moment of truth. Poe leaned his chin against Finn’s shoulder, and Finn reached for his hand.

     Rey closed her eyes and activated the lightsabre. A low humming and a blue light filled the room. Finn got up and rushed to hug Rose.

     “You did it!”

     Rose had covered her mouth with her hands, but it was clear that she was ecstatic. “I can’t believe it! I actually fixed a lightsabre!”

     Rey laughed and waved the sabre in her hand gracefully for a moment before she turned it off again and ran to hug Rose as well.

     “This is incredible!” she rejoiced. “And you’re amazing!”

     Rose blushed. Poe reached Finn’s gaze and they grinned at each other. Rey and Rose had been dancing around each other for weeks, with clumsy flirting and occasional tension that Poe could’ve cut with a knife. Paige hadn’t been wrong when she had said that her sister was really useless when it came to flirting, but seeing Rose flirt with Rey had made everyone come to a rather terrifying conclusion. Now there were two of them.

     “Um,” Rose squeaked, “thanks, but you and Finn were the reason I was able to do it at all.”

     “Well, still!” insisted Rey. “You’re so great, I love you!”

     A pregnant silence fell upon the room. Rose stared at Rey with wide eyes, Rey had covered her mouth with her hand, and Poe and Finn were staring at both of the girls. Well, maybe Rey was less useless at this than Poe had thought.

      “What?” Rose let out.

      Rey made a noise that sounded like a panicking BB-8 and ran out of the room with the lightsabre. Poe slapped his forehead. He stood corrected: Rey was _exactly_ as useless at this as he had originally thought. Right, damage control. Rose was still dumbstruck and started to fiddle with the tip of her welder.

     “Hey, that could be dangerous, you know?” said Finn.

     Rose looked up and didn’t seem to have properly registered that. “Huh? Oh. Uh, yeah, right, you’re right,” she stammered and let go of the welder. “Did… did you guys hear what I just heard? Or did I just imagine it?”

     Poe patted her shoulder. “No, she definitely said she loved you. And given how much you have been flirting back and forth, I’m only surprised it took this long.”

     Rose turned to stare at Poe in shock. “What? We haven’t– it wasn’t– was it?”

     “Yep,” Poe grinned.

     “So that was…”

     “A love confession? Yep.”

     “So that means…”

     Poe had to admit that he actually enjoyed this. “I guess so.”

     Rose stood up. “I gotta gay– GO. I gotta _go_ find Rey. I’ll see you guys later!”

     And with that Rose ran out of the room as well. Poe leaned back in his hoverchair and looked at Finn who was sitting on the table now and wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. “And just like that a disaster is averted,” said Poe.

     “Nice one, Poe.” Finn rubbed his chin. “So do you think they can manage on their own from here?”

     “No,” admitted Poe, shaking his head. “Let’s go, they won’t suddenly stop being useless just because Rey had a short moment of actually knowing what she was doing. Disaster is back on.”

     Finn pushed the hoverchair out of the room and Poe turned its thrusters on. Thankfully Finn was Force sensitive and could sense where Rey was going, otherwise trying to find her and Rose would’ve been a lot harder.

     While searching, Poe decided to ask the question that had bothered him for some time now but that he hadn’t managed to ask earlier.

     “Hey, Finn? Why do you reckon I suddenly saw Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost?”

     Finn didn’t answer immediately. He stared at the wall on his other side and nodded his head, so Poe asked further, “Oh, is he there now?”

     “Yeah,” said Finn. “And… oh, wow.”

     “What?”

     Finn looked back at Poe. “He thinks we probably created a Force bond between us, and it was so strong at that moment that you were able to see and hear him. I had no idea they formed like that.”

     Poe shrugged. “Well, neither did I. I don’t even know how Force bonds work.”

     “That makes two of us,” said Finn. “But I do know that Rey is in her quarters. I can sense that much. But I don’t know about Rose– okay, Anakin says she’s in the _Falcon_. So, now what?”

     Poe rubbed his chin, pondering their choices. The obvious one would’ve been that he’d go talk to Rose, and Finn to Rey, but something in his gut told him that they should do it the other way around. So, in the end Finn headed outside to the _Falcon_ , and Poe steered himself to Rey’s door.

     “It’s open,” Rey called when Poe knocked it. Poe pushed the button in the control panel that made the door slide open, and steered himself inside. Rey’s bedroom was a real mess: she had several pieces of scrap metal lying around, probably attempts to make her own lightsabre. Rey herself was sitting on her bed, her father’s lightsabre still in her hands, as she looked up at Poe.

     “Poe, what the kriffing hell did I just say?” she asked.

     “Um, a nice thing any woman would be glad to hear?” Poe suggested. “Finn said Rose’s in the _Falcon_ , probably looking for you there.”

     Rey placed the lightsabre on her bed and got up. “I didn’t mean to say it.” She started to pace. “I mean I do like Rose, a lot, and after she kissed me on my cheek I thought… but then nothing happened… and I didn’t know what to do and…”

     Poe scoffed. “Alright, let me say this very clearly. You, gay. She, gay. And may I say, equally useless at this too, so it’s a perfect match.”

     Rey raised her eyebrow at Poe. “So we really were flirting. All this time.”

     Poe spread his hands. “And very badly too, so it’s no wonder neither of you caught up with it sooner.”

     Rey halted, breathed into her hands, and then grabbed Poe by his shoulder and leaned in. “I have to be sure. Are you telling me that she likes me back? Because I don’t wanna mess this up again.”

     Poe nodded eagerly. “You could ask anyone in this city and they’d say the same. Rose likes you back and you should go for it!”

     Rey sat back on her bed and looked at the ceiling, blinking rapidly. Poe leaned his elbow against the armrest of his hoverchair and tapped his finger against his thigh. Come on, Rey, you can work this out faster than that. Finally she got up and said, “Okay. I’m gonna do it.”

     And with that she ran off once again. Poe let out a relieved sigh. About time!

     On his way to Leia’s office Poe ran into Lando, was shaking his head.

     “Rey almost pushed me over,” he said. “I don’t know where she was heading with that kind of rush.”

     “She finally stopped being a useless gay,” smirked Poe.

     Lando let out a surprised noise. “Really? Finally! I swear, she gets that from Luke’s side of the family. I was never that useless– Anakin, shut up. Studies show that just because you had a wife doesn’t mean you know how you did it. And by studies I mean Obi-Wan.”

     Poe decided to make a tactical retreat to Leia’s office. Paperwork sounded like a dream. Poe was done solving other people’s relationship problems for one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't actually know how sabacc works, so I just used poker terms (ironically, I don't know how poker works either). But it's the game where Lando lost the Falcon to Han.
> 
> My research on Poe's parents gave me the result that Poe's mother Shara Bey died 10 ABY, which means Poe was eight at the time, but there was no mention on whether or not his dad was still alive, so... he is, and he likes Finn (well who doesn't).
> 
> Poe and Rey are the ultimate gay/lesbian solidarity and it was so much fun to write! I wanna bring out their competetive side in the future, it's gonna be so much fun too^^ I also have no idea how Force bonds work, but neither does RJ so w/e my take was better than his.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated ♥


	7. Rey III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Skywalker family history as told by Anakin Skywalker, and the quest to bring Luke's ass back to a civilised star system begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title would be "Empire Strikes Back references everywhere".
> 
> Well, here we are. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, I loved writing the dialogue between Rey and Anakin. I also enjoyed giving the shout-outs to Padmé and Ahsoka ♥
> 
> Also for a person who decided not to sweat too much for this fic I sure couldn't give you incorrect information on how fast the Falcon goes in hyperspace xD
> 
> Enjoy!

Rose was still in the _Falcon_ when Rey got there. She hovered over the hyperdrive with Finn, and Rey wasn’t sure how to interrupt without startling them. Thankfully Finn seemed to sense her, because he tapped Rose’s shoulder and said something with a low voice. Rose looked up and blushed. Oh crap, that just made her even cuter than she already was. Poe was right, Rey really was a highly useless gay.

     “Hi,” Rey said and kriff her voice sounded so squeaky and pathetic. She had beaten Kylo Ren twice in combat but couldn’t talk to the girl she fancied. It was ridiculous.

     Finn got up. “I’ll go see how Poe is doing and if he needs my help at anything.”

     Rey rolled her eyes. Right, sure, whatever he said. Still, no use crying about it, and maybe it was better that Finn gave them some privacy. At least this way they would have to talk to each other and not just rely on him keeping the conversation up. Rey had done this with Rose before, she could do it again.

     Rey and Rose stood in silence for a good while after Finn had left. Rey couldn’t think of anything to say, even though she had actually rehearsed her opening line on her way to the _Falcon_.

     Rose cleared her throat. “Um… I took a look at the hyperdrive.”

     Well at least she still knew how to talk. “Alright,” said Rey, thankful that her voice worked again too. “Anything I should know, you know, as the captain of this ship?”

     “Yeah, um, she makes it .5 past lightspeed, right?” asked Rose.

     “Yes, that’s right.” Rey crossed her arms. “Why?”

     “Well,” Rose said with a tentative tone, “I’m pretty sure I can boost it. Make her go .4 or even .3 past lightspeed.”

     Rey’s mouth fell open. The _Falcon_ was already one of the fastest ships in the Galaxy, and now Rose told her that she could boost the hyperdrive? What had Rey done right in her life to deserve Rose in her life?

     “Wow, that would be amazing,” said Rey, excitement bubbling in her stomach. “Oh, I wish Han were here. He’d probably be dancing around the corridors.”

     Rose gave her a small smile. “I wish I could’ve met him in person. I mean, I saw him at the Resistance base on D’Qar and I’ve grown up on stories of him and the Rebel Alliance, but I never actually knew him.”

     “I think he would’ve liked you.” Rey crouched next to Rose, closed her eyes, and willed her pounding heart to calm down. “Uh, I actually came down here to apologise. I reacted really badly earlier and I’m sorry. Truth is, I do like you a lot.”

     Rose laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound. “Yeah, Finn said as much, and Poe too. Apparently we’ve been flirting back and forth but because we’re useless gays we didn’t get it earlier.”

     Rey snorted. “Poe said the same to me. I’m done being useless.”

     Rose nodded, leaning in ever so slightly that without her Jedi senses Rey wouldn’t have noticed it. “I’m done being useless too.”

     And that was the moment Chewie decided to pop in to see if the _Falcon_ was ready to make the journey back to Ahch-To. Because of course. Why should Rey have had any luck when it came to Rose? Rose told Chewie what she had told Rey, and because Chewie was positively beaming upon hearing about the possible adjustments to the hyperdrive, Rey didn’t have the heart to tell him what he had interrupted.

     Rey’s comlink beeped and she answered with a heavy sigh.

     “Hello?”

     “ _Hey, Sunshine, am I interrupting?_ ” asked Lando, and something in his tone told Rey that he knew what she had been up to.

     “No, not really, Dad,” said Rey with a resigned tone, but technically it was true. Chewie had interrupted first. “What is it?”

     “ _Leia wants to go over our travel plan. Think you could come to her office in a few minutes?_ ”

     “Yeah, sure, I’ll be right over,” Rey answered and ended the call. She turned to look back at Rose and Chewie who were bustling over the hyperdrive. “Did you two hear that?”

     “Yeah, we did,” answered Rose. “You can go, I’ll have the hyperdrive fixed for tomorrow. Like if I can’t make it run faster at least it won’t break when you’re halfway back home or anything.”

     Rey laughed and thanked Rose before leaving the _Falcon_. Obviously the travel plans to drag her father’s bottom back to a civilised star system were more important than her hopeless crush, but even so Rey cursed her rotten luck while walking over to Leia’s office. Oh well, not as if it had been so easy for Finn and Poe either, what with Poe almost dying. And what Rey had gathered from stories, it hadn’t been any easier for her fathers either, or Leia and Han.

     Hours later, after the meeting, Rey found her way to a balcony near her quarters. It had a great view over the city. The sun was setting, turning the clouds and the white buildings pink again, and Rey couldn’t help but think that she could hardly find a more romantic setting anywhere in the Galaxy.

     Behind her, someone coughed to catch her attention. Rey smiled to herself. She had already sensed it was Rose. She turned around to meet Rose’s equally bright smile.

     “How’s the hyperdrive?” Rey asked.

     “I think I managed to boost it,” Rose answered, bouncing where she stood a little before walking over to where Rey was. “I ran into Finn, he told me you were here.”

     “Did he tell you about the meeting?”

     Rose nodded. “Yeah, he told me that now that everything is ready, you’ll leave tomorrow. I hope you have a safe trip and… and that you succeed in bringing your father back. You deserve it.”

     Rose looked over from the balcony, placing her hands on the railing, and with a sudden surge of courage Rey moved her hand so that their fingers intertwined. Rose still didn’t look at her, and while Rey did consciously try not to read her mind or anything (she was not her cousin, she would not infiltrate another person’s head on purpose without their permission) some feelings did come through. Rose, too, was gathering courage.

     “This place is really romantic,” Rose said softly.

     Rey hummed. “It really is.”

     “I’m gonna miss you while you’re gone.”

     Rey turned a bit. “I’m not gonna be gone for long. With the faster hyperdrive I’ll be back before you even notice.”

     Rose chuckled, still not looking at Rey, but she also hadn’t moved her hand away. That had to be a good sign. Oh, for crap’s sake, all the signs had been good, one of them just had to take the first step.

     “Rose…”

     “Rey…”

     They laughed, and Rose finally looked at Rey again. Rey felt like her heart might’ve burst right out of her chest.

     “You first,” she said.

     “I wanted you to have this,” answered Rose and took off her necklace, placing it in Rey’s hand. “As a promise. I’m gonna want it back so now you’ll have a reason to return.”

     Rey shook her head with a wide smile. “I would’ve returned anyway, with or without my father. But thank you.” She pulled the chain over her head. Rose let out a funny sound.

     “Well, what do you know,” she grinned. “It fits and everything.”

     “I’ll take good care of it,” Rey promised and touched the crescent pendant. “And I will come back for you.”

     “You’d better,” said Rose, closing what distance there was left between them. Rey leaned in and her hand trembled as she placed it on Rose’s cheek.

     It was the first time Rey had ever kissed anyone like that. Even long after they finally parted to go get some dinner Rey kept feeling the sensation on her lips. The thought alone helped to keep away all of her anxiety about tomorrow, and Rey fell asleep still clutching Rose’s necklace in her hand.

     Her dream took a completely different turn from the joy of the day. Rey found herself in a corridor, with walls that made the space appear triangular. The light was low so the walls appeared black, and with a start Rey realised she had been here twice before, both times in a vision. The first time had happened at Maz Kanata’s palace when she had touched the lightsabre, and the second time when she had practised with Finn for the first time. The place was near the carbon freeze chamber. Rey looked around–

     _Kohhh_

     A rasping breath interrupted her and a blue light filled the space. Rey turned around and saw Luke, holding the lightsabre in front of him. Another rasping breath, and another lightsabre was ignited, a red one this time. Rey backed down against the wall with a shriek. Luke and the creature in black ignored her, as though she wasn’t even there.

     This is a dream, just a dream, Rey told herself, just before she woke up in her own bed. Her brow was sweaty and her heart was pounding in her chest. She had seen many pictures of her father as a young man, but the creature in black, never. And yet she knew who it had been.

     Darth Vader. Her grandfather.

     Rey wiped her brow and changed into her everyday clothes. She had to go see the place herself. A whistle interrupted her as she was lacing her boots. Artoo was up as well.

     “It’s okay, Artoo,” Rey whispered. “I just… I need to see something.”

     Artoo whistled again, indicating that he wanted to go with her, make sure she’d be safe. Rey smiled at the droid, touched by his concern, but this was something she felt she had to do alone.

     “I’ll be fine,” she assured and tied the lightsabre in her belt. “See, I’m armed and everything.”

     Artoo let out a sad beep.

     “I know,” Rey sighed, pulling Rose’s necklace over her head. “But I have to go alone. I’ll be right back, I just need to see something for myself.”

     Rey pressed the control panel of her door and slid out. It was the middle of the night, and the silence was eerie. In this part of the city no one was up anymore. Rey had never been down to the carbon freeze chambers, so she closed her eyes and tried to find a way down there with the Force. The way appeared in her mind, clear as day. Maybe Luke had taken this route as well, all those years ago. Rey walked through what seemed endless corridors and staircases until she saw a round room with several holes in the floor.

     The carbon freeze chamber.

     Rey walked on, concentrating on her breathing. There were several ghosts of the past here, she could feel it in her bones. A trap door opened into a round corridor and Rey knew it was the right way. The lights turned on when she got in. She walked through the corridor, arriving to a familiar round window, the one she had seen in her vision a few weeks ago. There was already someone standing in front of it. And Rey knew exactly who it was.

     “Grandfather?” she blurted.

     Anakin turned around and frowned. “Rey, what are you doing here at this hour?”

     “I… I had a dream of this place,” answered Rey, now annoyingly aware of the twitching of the corner of her mouth. “And…”

     “And me and Luke,” supplied Anakin. “Let me guess, I was wearing all black and had a mask that made raspy breathing.”

     Rey nodded vigorously. “Exactly!”

     Anakin sighed, rubbing his temple. ( _Could Force ghosts get headaches?_ Rey wondered.) “It was here, thirty years ago. You know that at the time I was known as Darth Vader, don’t you?”

     Rey nodded again.

     “I’d set a trap for Luke,” Anakin told her. “I had Lando detain Leia, Han, and Chewbacca here, knowing that Luke would come to rescue them. And he did. We fought and–”

     Anakin covered his face with his hand. Rey noted that it was prosthetic, just like Luke’s, and had a sudden sinking feeling in her gut. She knew this story, but had only heard parts of it from other people. And now her grandfather was telling her what really happened.

     “–it was right here.” Anakin pointed Rey to the window that led to the core of Cloud City and the structures that held the city floating above Bespin’s toxic lower atmosphere. “I… I cut off Luke’s right hand during our duel. Tried to get him to join me.”

     “I’m sure after having his hand cut off he was more than happy to do that,” Rey snorted.

     “Watch the tone,” Anakin huffed, but with a small grin. “You sound like my former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. Anyway, do you see that bridge and that pole?”

     “Yeah?”

     “That was where I told Luke I was his father.”

     Rey slammed her hand on her mouth. “By the stars. And then he fell, didn’t he? Right below the city.”

     Anakin nodded with a small but fond smile. “I honestly don’t know what else I expected. Luke’s a Skywalker, we as a family tend to be over-dramatic.”

     Rey snorted a laugh. “Well, in a way I’m glad Luke did it. Obviously I’m not glad he had to lose his hand or that you set a trap for him and tortured my dad but… at least he and Dad met.”

     Anakin smiled at her. “You’re right, Rey. Lando and I may not see eye to eye, well, _ever_ , but he has been very good for Luke, and for that I will always be thankful. Even if it was initially under unpleasant circumstances…”

     “Unpleasant?” Rey scoffed. “Try terrible.”

     Now Anakin laughed. “True. Anyway, even it was under _terrible_ circumstances, I’m glad that Luke and Lando met.”

     Rey looked back at the lonely pole, trying to imagine her father and grandfather down there. She touched the glass of the window and – rasping breathing, terror, pain, pain, _pain_ – suddenly she was down there, grasping on the railing, barely on her feet, with two figures in front of her, one clad in black and the other struggling to hold onto the pole.

     “ _Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father,_ ” said Anakin – no, Darth Vader. Rey turned her gaze to Luke. He looked awful. His face was bruised, he was bleeding, and he was already missing his right hand.

     “ _He told me enough!_ ” grunted Luke, grasping onto the pole with his remaining good hand, and Rey realised he’d lost his lightsabre. “ _He told me you killed him!_ ”

     Rey already knew what was coming next but her emotions took the better of her and tears streamed down her face.

     “ _No,_ ” said Vader. “I _am your father_.”

     Disbelief, shock, denial, more terror, even more pain – Rey leaned back and the vision faded. She was breathing heavily, and tears still striped her face.

     “Did you see it?” Anakin asked gently – the real Anakin, not Vader, _Anakin_ , her grandfather.

     “Yeah,” said Rey, nodding, and wiped the tears off. “I felt it too. Everything Luke was going through… I felt it.”

     Anakin reached out to pat her head. Rey felt it as a warm, gentle breeze. She bit her lip and finally decided to ask the question she had wanted to ask since meeting Anakin for the first time.

    “How… how did you fall?”

     Anakin didn’t look at Rey, and she could’ve sworn he had tears in his eyes, or would’ve had if Force ghosts could cry.

     “I had many close calls,” said Anakin, gazing into distance. “Closest one being when I had to watch my mother die. I’d had nightmares of her dying and I tried to save her, but I couldn’t, and as retaliation I slayed the tribe of Sand People who were responsible of her death. What finally did it were similar dreams of my wife dying in childbirth. I decided to do whatever it took to save her, but in the end she died anyway, in childbirth. And it was my fault.”

     Anakin closed his eyes and squirmed as though he was in pain. “I killed her and, so I thought at the time, our unborn child. It wasn’t until much later that I found out Luke was my son, and even later that I found out about Leia as well.”

     Rey clenched her hands, not knowing what to do with them. “My grandmother?”

     “Her name was Padmé Amidala,” Anakin told her. “When I first met her, she was the newly-elected queen of Naboo, and I was a slave on Tatooine. Obi-Wan’s old master, Qui-Gon, freed me and would’ve taken me as his Padawan learner had he not been killed in battle, so Obi-Wan became my master instead. I didn’t meet Padmé again for ten years, and then Obi-Wan and I were appointed as her guards against an assassination plot. During that time, we fell in love. Padmé was… beyond anything I can describe.”

     “Try?” suggested Rey, and Anakin chuckled.

     “You take after her a lot,” he said, finally looking at Rey again. “The colour of your eyes comes straight from her, as does your hair. Not to mention your bright smile. That’s all Padmé. She was… also incredibly kind, she never stopped believing in the light in me, even after I fell and she was dying. I didn’t deserve her, and she didn’t deserve to die like that. That guilt haunted me for the rest of my life, until Luke came along and saw the last sliver of light in me.”

     “And he saved you,” said Rey.

     Anakin nodded. “Rey, there is something you have to understand, for the battles to come.” His face became sterner, older. “Only Luke ever forgave me for the horrible things I did. You’ve seen how Lando is. He only tolerates my presence for your, and formerly Luke’s sake. Leia won’t even see me, much less talk to me, which I do think is fair. After all, I was an accomplice in the destruction of her home planet, Alderaan.”

     “But that wasn’t you,” argued Rey, though a voice in her head insisted it was futile. “It was Vader.”

     Anakin let out a deep sigh. “Rey. I am Vader and Vader is me. There’s no point in pretending otherwise. We all have the Dark Side and the Light within us, and I let the Dark Side consume me. I lost sight of what really mattered, and – I failed Padmé and Obi-Wan because I didn’t trust them when I should have.”

     Rey swallowed nothing. “What do you mean?”

     “Us Skywalkers, we love easily, but trust is more difficult to come by,” said Anakin. “That was my mistake. That was Luke’s mistake. Stars, it was Kylo’s mistake as well. _You_ will have to learn from it. Trust in your fathers, trust in Rose, and especially trust in Finn. I have a feeling your love for them will be your greatest strength when you face Kylo Ren again, but you will have to trust them as well.”

     Rey bit her thumbnail, wondering if there was any point in asking another thing that had bothered her, but out of everyone she knew Anakin most likely had the best insight for it. “So there really is no way to save Kylo Ren, is there?”

     Anakin shook his head. “He’s even deeper in the Dark Side than I ever was, and what redemption I had in Luke’s eyes only happened because I sacrificed myself to save his life. I committed terrible crimes, but even then I couldn’t bear to see my son die because of me, not after I was the reason Padmé died. When Kylo Ren murdered Han, his father, he sealed his fate. There’s no coming back to Light for him. He has to die.”

     Rey nodded. She had already accepted it, but somehow hearing it from someone else helped her keep her mind. Out of everyone in the family who she could’ve talked to, Anakin knew the Dark Side the best.

     “One more thing, Rey,” said Anakin after a moment of silence. “Remember a few weeks ago when I said that you and Finn are the Galaxy’s last hope?”

     “There’s no way I’ll ever forget it,” answered Rey. “What about it?”

     Anakin’s expression became sorrowful. “The two of you are the Galaxy’s last hope together, but you are also the last Skywalker, making you the last hope of the Skywalker family.”

     Rey frowned. “And?”

     Anakin turned to look through the window again, to the pole. “The Force is strong in this family. I have it. My son has it. My daughter has it. You have that power too, Rey. You’ve already had encounters with the Dark Side, and you must find balance inside you. That is the key to victory, balance. We can’t lose you to the Dark Side like we lost Kylo Ren.”

     “Alright,” Rey said, crossing her arms. “How do I find it?”

     Anakin sighed again. “I’m afraid you’ll have to figure it out on your own.”

     Great, because that wasn’t vague at all. Rey yawned and rubbed her eyes. Okay, she’d have to go back to bed now, she had to get some sleep, or she’d fall asleep while piloting the _Falcon_ to Ahch-To, which obviously would’ve been a very bad idea.

     Anakin walked back up with her. Rey opened her door, and instantly Artoo whistled.

     “See?” she flashed the droid a sleepy smile. “Told you I’d come back. Sorry it took so long, I had a chat with my grandfather.”

     Artoo whistled again, asking if Anakin was there now. Right, droids couldn’t see Force ghosts.

     “Yes, he’s here,” Rey answered.

     “Hello, Artoo,” said Anakin, and Rey relayed the message before taking off her boots and tucking herself in. No point in changing clothes again, she’d have to get up soon anyway. For the rest of the night she didn’t see any dreams, or at least she didn’t remember them in the morning.

     The morning was hectic. Rey barely had enough time to change into her new travel-wear and grab a bite at breakfast table before she had to go oversee the loading of the _Falcon_. There was no telling how long they would be gone so Lando had decided to pack enough food and drinking water for a week. With any luck they wouldn’t need them, but as he told Rey, knowing Luke things could go so many different ways. It was better to be prepared.

     “Dad, I don’t know if I already told you, but Ahch-To is an ocean planet,” Rey said, giving Lando’s outfit a critical eye. “It rains a lot there and the cliffs are very steep and can be dangerous.”

     “What do you mean?” asked Lando.

     “You have to lose the cape.”

     Lando gasped in mocked offence. “How could my own daughter say something that horrible?”

     “I’m serious!” Rey huffed.

     “Hello, serious, I’m dad.”

     At this point Rey decided to return to the platform to say goodbye to Leia, Rose, and Poe who had come to see them off. Chewie and Artoo were making final repairs to the _Falcon_ , and Finn had got his things in as well. It was time to go.

     Leia pulled Rey into a warm embrace.

     “Good luck,” she said. “I hope this time my brother listens to you.”

     “I hope so too,” Rey answered, nuzzling closer to her aunt. “We’ll do our best.”

     “I know you will.” Leia smiled at Rey and turned to Finn, who had just finished a farewell kiss with Poe.

     BB-8 nudged Rey’s leg and beeped words of encouragement.

     “Mistress Rey, I do sincerely hope you will bring Master Luke back,” said Threepio.

     “Yeah, me too, Threepio,” answered Rey and patted the droid’s shoulder. “Take care. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

     Rey turned to Rose. They looked at each other, both uncertain what to say. Rey felt like they had already said everything that needed to be said yesterday. Still, she leaned in to hug Rose as well. Rose gave Rey a quick kiss.

     “I’d go with you, but I need to practise my leadership skills,” she said. “Can’t be a Resistance captain if I can’t lead.”

     Rey nodded and chuckled. “You’ll do well.”

     “When you get back, tell me how the hyperdrive worked.”

     “I will.” Rey turned around to board the _Falcon_ , but on the last second realised that there was one thing she had to say. “Rose!”

     “What?”

     “I love you!” Rey called while she had the courage to do so.

     Rose’s smile was luminous. “I know!”

     Rey could’ve sworn that she heard Leia laugh.

     And then it was time to go. Rey fingered the crescent pendant resting against her chest as she settled down in the _Falcon’s_ cockpit, changing the coordinates from Bespin to Ahch-To. Chewie sat down in the co-pilot’s seat, telling Rey that they were ready to take off. Finn and Lando sat behind them, but Rey barely acknowledged their presence. Her anxiety was back.

     Rey had spent so much time planning on this trip and training her Jedi skills that she hadn’t given any thought for what would happen if Luke didn’t agree to return with them. If Luke didn’t want to see Lando. If… if Luke didn’t realise that she was his daughter. Rey had spent so much time picturing her family back together that just the idea that it might not come true after all was enough to break her heart.

     Lando patted her shoulder. “Hey, you okay?”

     Rey snapped out of her fears and turned around to smile at her dad. “Yeah, just nervous. Okay, here we go.”

     The _Falcon’s_ engines revved and the ship rose from the platform. Rey steered it out of Bespin’s atmosphere while Chewie double-checked the coordinates.

     “ _We’re ready to jump into lightspeed_ ,” Chewie growled.

     “Alright, here goes nothing,” said Rey and turned the hyperdrive on. The stars around became silvery lines as they made the jump – and Rose’s enhancements really worked. Rey could feel the boost in speed, and from the clock on the control panel she could see that they’d make it to Ahch-To an hour sooner than anticipated. Rey leaned back in the pilot’s chair, biting on her thumbnail.

     Everyone was mostly quiet for the entire trip. Lando and Chewie excused themselves when they were about halfway there and went to the lounge to play sabacc, leaving Rey and Finn in the cockpit alone. Finn sat on the now vacated co-pilot’s chair and closed his eyes. The next moment Rey felt a wave of peace coming from him and she couldn’t help but smile. Finn had always been a calming presence, even more so now that they had discovered that he was Force sensitive, and he had got very good at what Obi-Wan had called battle meditation. It had turned out that it could also be used to calm others outside battles.

     “It’ll be okay,” Finn said quietly.

     “Stay near me when we get there,” said Rey, still keeping her eyes in the hyperspace tunnel.

     “I won’t leave your side,” Finn promised.

     They fell silent again and stayed that way until the alarm rang. They were at their destination. Rey turned the hyperdrive off and saw the vast ocean once again. Lando and Chewie came back to the cockpit, and Finn switched seats with Chewie. Lando sat behind Rey again, looking at the planet over her shoulder.

     “So, this is…”

     “Yeah,” Rey confirmed, steering the _Falcon_ into Ahch-To’s atmosphere. “We’re here.”

     Rey steered the _Falcon_ over the ocean to the same cliff where she had landed the first time she was here. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she knew that no amount of Finn’s presence would’ve been enough to calm her down. The Falcon landed on the cliff smoothly, and Rey opened the boarding ramp. This was it.

     The group got out and were greeted with cool ocean breeze and the chirping of the Porgs. Rey looked up at the staircase she had climbed all those weeks ago, wondering if she’d find Luke at the same place as last time. Finn patted her shoulder with a small smile, and she turned around to look at Lando.

     “You coming as well?” she asked.

     Lando shook his head. “No, I’m too old to climb all those stairs. And it’s even steeper than I imagined. I’ll wait down here with Chewie and Artoo.”

     “I’ve no idea where he is, though,” Rey said. “You sure you want to wait that long?”

     “Rey, I’ve been waiting for seven years,” answered Lando. “I can wait a few hours longer. Just… tell him that I miss him.”

     Rey hugged her dad and promised they’d be right back with Finn – and Luke. And then, at last, she and Finn started to climb up the steep staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it only took seven chapters and now we're here. The Calrissian-Skywalker family reunion is at hand and I have so many feels already~
> 
> I have some university stuff to do so it might take a bit longer from me to finish the next chapter, but please be patient, I'll publish it as quickly as I can.
> 
> Also, next chapter is *drumroll* Luke pov!
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	8. Luke Skywalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family can be two galactic gay icons, their rowdy sand lesbian daughter, and their astromech droid who's the only competent being in the entire Galaxy.
> 
> Dedicated to Mark Hamill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!! THE FAMILY REUNION WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> To get into the mood, I recommed listening to these two pieces while reading:  
> [Force Theme](https://youtu.be/eb2zuegwcwk)  
> [Across the Stars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nk_WHHTQtY)

Luke Skywalker woke up in his small hut. Ever since he had Force projected himself across the Galaxy he had been napping every few hours as the effort had taken its toll, but now he was wide awake for the first time in weeks, and for a reason. There was a disturbance in the Force around the island, and he knew exactly what it was. The _Falcon_ was back, she had just landed. Rey and Chewie were back, Luke could sense it. He leaned against the wall of his hut with his prosthetic hand and took a deep breath. It still hurt that the young woman had the same name as his Sunshine – a memory he had tried to suppress for so long.

     Luke closed his eyes, sensing that this time there were more people than just Rey and Chewie. There was a presence of a young man, a Force sensitive one at that, Luke realised. Huh, maybe Rey had come to beg that he’d train the young man as well. Well, that was not going to happen, Luke was done with all that, he just wanted to live the rest of his lonely life in peace, and–

     Luke’s balance wavered and his breathing became heavier. He felt a fourth presence, one he hadn’t felt for seven years but there was no way he could ever forget it.

     Lando.

     Lando was here. Luke’s _husband_ was here, on this planet, in this island. Luke pressed his left hand on his chest, over his heart. That was another memory he had tried to keep supressed for a long time, because it just hurt too much. _Luke_ had hurt Lando too much, so why was Lando even here? By all accounts it didn’t make any sense. After everything that had happened Luke should’ve been the last person Lando wanted to see.

     Luke walked to the door of his hut, getting ready to tell the two younglings walking up the stairs to scram, when his train of thought was interrupted by a piece of paper that fell from his pocket. Luke picked it up, unfolded it, and sighed. He hadn’t looked at the picture for a long time, even though he carried it with him wherever he went. The colours were a bit faded now, after fifteen years, but the three people in it, and the three words beneath them, were still perfectly visible. But it was nothing more than a memory now, a memory of a happier time.

     Then he heard two voices outside, one of which Luke recognised. Right, time to face the two younglings. Luke folded the picture back into his pocket and opened the door of his hut. Rey and the young man she had brought with her jumped, clearly not having expected him to be there. Rey looked different. She looked like she had jumped right out of Cloud City’s fashion week (Luke should know, Lando had dragged him to that event several times) with the light blue colours of her trekking suit and the long vest. The crescent pendant around her neck broke the style a bit but not much. She had lost her buns as well; her hair was in a braid crown, and it looked so familiar that Luke’s heart ached. Rey and her friend stood in silence, and Luke wanted to roll his eyes. Well, at least she wasn’t offering him his old lightsabre again.

     “You’re back,” Luke said flatly, but he had to admit that he was curious about the young man Rey had brought with her. The young man was wearing a Resistance jacket over his black shirt, and Luke sensed kindness radiating from him, but otherwise there was nothing particularly remarkable about his appearance. It was the strength of the Force in him that made him stand out. He was untrained but very strong already, much like Rey.

     “That’s right,” said Rey, and the corner of her mouth twitched. Luke ignored it, even though the motion was somehow so familiar. “This is Finn,” she gestured at her friend. “He’s my best friend and Force sensitive like me.”

     “What do you want?”

     “You to agree to train us would be a start.” Rey picked on the sleeves of her shirt. “And… you to come with us to Cloud City would be great too.”

     “That’s a new one,” Luke said. “So, you don’t want me to take on the entire First Order on my own anymore, do you?”

     Rey shook her head and pulled out – no way, did she actually make a point of carrying the lightsabre around with her or what? “No, Finn and I were thinking the three of us would take on the entire First Order together, as Jedi Knights.”

     If Luke had been about twenty years younger he would’ve yelled out the Galaxy’s longest “called it!” but he wasn’t, so he settled on crossing his arms. “I already told you last time, I’m done with all that. The Force, the Jedi, everything.”

     “Well it didn’t seem to stop you from Force projecting yourself all the way across the Galaxy to fight Kylo Ren and save what was left of the Resistance,” Rey countered, and next to her Finn snorted a laugh. Touché. The kid was good, Luke had to admit that as well, and that sass somehow reminded him of Lando and Han.

     “Which we are thankful for, by the way,” Finn put in. “I’m Finn, it’s an honour to meet you, Master Skywalker.”

     “I haven’t been a Master for years, kid,” Luke said and rubbed his temple with his prosthetic hand. “There’s no need to call me that.”

     Rey put the lightsabre back to her bag and bit her lip. “Alright, could you at least come to the _Falcon_ with us? My… there’s someone who wants to see you.”

     “You mean Lando.”

     Rey nodded. “He misses you, Luke. So please, if you won’t train us or even leave this place with us, at least come see him.”

     Luke clenched his fist. “I can’t. I’ve hurt him too much. He doesn’t deserve that.”

     “Tell that to him,” Rey huffed. “He’s waiting for you. He _wants_ to see you. Just come with us, he’ll tell you that himself.”

     “Seeing me would only hurt us both,” Luke sighed. “As much as I’d love to see him, I… it’s too painful, alright?”

     “For whom?” asked Rey. “For him… or for you?”

     That nerve, so much like Leia, Luke thought. “Alright, I think we’re done here. I’m sorry I can’t be the legendary Jedi you two obviously wanted me to be.”

     Luke turned to go back into his hut. He took but a few steps, when Rey asked, “What’s this?” and he heard the rustle of a piece of paper. Oh no, the drawing had fallen out of his pocket again! Luke turned around on his heels. Rey had covered her mouth with her right hand and in her left she was holding the drawing.

     “Give it back, it’s private!” Luke snapped.

     Rey sniffled. “I remember this. It was about a million years ago when I drew this.”

     Wait what? Luke frowned. How in the name of the Force could Rey…? Could it be…? No, Luke had already gone through this. It wasn’t possible.

     “Finn, look,” said Rey and turned the drawing so Finn could see it. Great, let’s involve other people in this too, why ever not?

     “Give it _back_ ,” Luke insisted. “My daughter drew it for me years ago.”

     Rey looked up at him. “I know. I drew this so you wouldn’t feel lonely when you weren’t at home.”

     She turned offered it back to Luke so that the drawing was open for everyone to see. A drawing by a five-year-old, of him, Lando, and their Sunshine, with the words “Daddy”, “Papa” and “ME” written beneath each character. Luke snatched it back and folded it carefully, this time making sure it wouldn’t fall from his pocket again.

     “I don’t know what you’re rambling about,” he said to Rey, “but will you just go now? I’m not going to deal with this a third time.”

     Rey’s voice trembled and her eyes were glistening with tears. “You… you really don’t know what happened, then?”

     “I know enough,” Luke said and turned his back at Rey and Finn, struggling to keep his own voice steady. “I know my daughter is dead. She died many years ago. Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I wish to live out the remainder of my lonely life in peace.”

     “No,” Rey breathed and something in her tone triggered a memory in Luke, and suddenly he knew what her next words were going to be. “ _I am_ your daughter.”

     Luke blinked like he had just seen Rey for the first time. No, it couldn’t be. The Force bond he had had with Rey had been broken when she had been taken away, he hadn’t felt her anywhere in the Galaxy – and yet there she was. Suddenly Luke saw the face in front of him as a much younger version. The freckles that seemed to always multiply in the sun. The clever hazel eyes. The sly smile that always seemed to have a cunning plan behind it. All of it. Luke reached out with his left hand to touch Rey’s cheek.

     “Sunshine?”

     Rey nodded, tears pouring down her cheeks. “Yes, it’s me. Dad and I are here to bring you home.”

     Luke pulled back and closed his eyes. “I told you already why I can’t. Lando… I don’t deserve him.”

     “How about let _Dad_ be the judge of that?” Rey’s breathing was heavy from the tears. “You should’ve seen him during the past few weeks, he misses you so much! He wants you back, we both do!”

     Luke sighed. “I’m sorry, Rey.”

     Rey made an incredulous sound that was mixed with a sob. “Let me rephrase that. I’m dragging you down those stairs to Dad by your ear if I have to. Or have Chewie do that for me, it’s your call.”

     Well she certainly had spirit.

     Finn placed his hand on Rey’s shoulder and said, “Rey, maybe you should go back, to calm down a bit. I’ll talk to your father.”

     Rey made a face but took her leave. Before heading back down the stairs she turned to look at Luke and said with a bitter tone, “All I wanted was my family back together. I can’t believe this.”

     Luke watched Rey disappear behind the hill. He was just about holding himself together ( _that was your daughter and you drove her away, are you an idiot, Skywalker?_ a voice that sounded a lot like Lando scolded him in his head) when he turned to Finn and stated, “I doubt there’s anything you can say to make me change my mind.”

     “Look, Master Skywalker,” said Finn, with such a determined tone that Luke had heard only once before, in Leia’s voice. “I don’t know a lot about your family history, just bits and pieces I’ve heard mostly from Leia and Lando. But I do know what the First Order is like. I was a stormtrooper, I know how high the stakes are! And I also know that Rey and I can’t rely on a couple of old books and two dead Jedi for training. We need a teacher. We need _you_.”

     “I can’t go back, I’ve hurt people enough– wait.” Luke caught on with what Finn had just said. “What do you mean, you can’t rely on two dead Jedi?”

     “Oh.” Finn scratched the back of his ear. “Um, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi have been appearing to us whenever we’ve needed teaching. We meditate on our own just fine, but combat tends to get a bit tricky without a teacher. Having just one lightsabre doesn’t exactly make it easier either. Anakin and Obi-Wan do their best, but they’re not what you’d call corporeal so…”

     Luke raised his hand, frowning at Finn. “You’ve had my father and my old mentor to teach you? When did they start appearing again?”

     “Just a couple of weeks ago,” answered Finn. “They said it was because there was an awakening in me and Rey. The Dark Side kept them away before that, which is why even when Anakin discovered the truth about the plot behind Rey’s abduction he couldn’t tell you anything.”

     Oh. That explained everything. Luke would still have to have some words with his father. It had been weeks, surely Anakin – or Obi-Wan, it didn’t matter who – could’ve made a brief visit to him and explain everything. Then again, Anakin was nothing if not dramatic. Maybe he hadn’t appeared because of that. For the sake of being dramatic. Well, it definitely was something Anakin would’ve done.

     Finn took one step closer and there was sadness in his eyes that made him look old beyond his years. “I never knew my family. I was taken from them when I was only a baby, and I doubt I’ll ever be reunited with them. But Rey has that chance, and she deserves it. She and Lando both want you back. They started to plan this ever since they were reunited!” Finn paused to take a deep breath. “So please. Rey and I won’t stand a chance against the Knights of Ren without you. We all need you.”

     Luke studied Finn. In his time he had seen many Force sensitive people, but Finn was somehow entirely different from all of them. He was untrained, it was true, but something about him, and how the Force manifested itself in him, reminded Luke of Obi-Wan. Actually… well, maybe he’d take this slowly. No promises just yet. But Finn had come all this way for a family that wasn’t even his, for the love for his best friend. And Luke knew he himself had done a lot of downright crazy things for his friends, so he had to respect this. Kriff, the reason he had met his husband in the first place had been because he had decided to pull a crazy stunt and take on his father on his own to save his friends!

     “Alright,” Luke said finally. “I won’t make any promises but… I’ll come see Lando at least. I think I owe him and Rey at least that. I messed things up, it’s up to me to fix them.”

     Finn’s smile couldn’t have been wider. “They’ll be so happy! Chewie and Artoo as well, they stayed with Lando. Well, obviously, I honestly don’t know how the _Falcon_ would run without those two, and you should see how Rey pilots it, she’s amazing, and…”

      Luke let Finn chatter all the way down to the _Falcon_. It was comforting, somehow, and there was so much kindness in him. Actually, now that Luke thought about it, he could see himself training Finn – and Rey too. And maybe he should too…

     Suddenly the wind carried voices to Luke’s ear.

     “Dad, I’m so sorry, I tried but I… I couldn’t…”

     “It’s okay, Sunshine, I know you did your best…”

     Luke’s feet went cold, and not just from the cool ocean wind. He saw Lando and Rey by the _Falcon_ ; Lando and Chewie had wrapped their arms around Rey. The feeling that had been inside him for all this time surfaced stronger than ever. He was afraid.

     Finn turned to look at him. “Master Skywalker?”

     Luke took a deep breath. “I’m alright. I’m doing this. Throw a stone at me or something if I try to bail.”

     “You won’t,” said Finn. “Come on. Your family is waiting.”

     For the remaining steps down the stairs Luke’s eyes never left Lando. Seven years it had been since they had last seen each other. The fear in Luke was joined by another emotion, and he wasn’t sure if it had always felt this strong or if it just felt that way because he hadn’t seen Lando in a good long while. Love. It had always been there, lately it had just been buried beneath all the memories and regret.

     The last ten steps remained, and now Lando finally looked up. He had got old. They both had. Luke smiled a little as Lando let go of Rey and covered his mouth with his hand. Rey turned around and after a moment of shock she ran to hug Finn. Luke briefly registered that she said, “Thank you.” Lando stared at him and Luke held his gaze, even if he suddenly wanted to look quite literally anyplace else.

     “So, you really grew a beard,” said Lando. Next to him, Artoo whistled.

     “Same cape,” Luke stated and grinned a bit when Lando rolled his eyes.

     “Oh come on, Luke, you know me better than that.” Lando took one step closer and Luke wanted to back off, but his legs wouldn’t move. Lando crossed his arms. “I don’t know if I should kiss you or blast your butt back to Tatooine.”

     Luke shrugged, trying to keep his tone light. “All things considered I wouldn’t blame you if you went for the latter.”

     “Luke, you just _left_ ,” Lando said, but he didn’t sound angry. He sounded hurt, which was even worse. Luke would’ve liked it better if Lando had yelled. “No message, nothing, aside from the one where you warned me not to go to your Jedi Academy. Well I did anyway and I saw the carnage. I searched for you among the bodies. For all I knew you were dead. How do you suppose that made me feel, Luke?”

     “I know how it feels!” Luke stared at the ground between him and Lando. “I– I was _ashamed_ , Lando. I felt like I’d failed everyone I loved. First Rey, then Ben, my Padawans, and Han, Leia… and you. I couldn’t live with myself, I– I needed to get away from everything!”

     Lando closed the distance between them and took Luke’s face between his hands. Oh, Luke had forgotten the physical sensation but not how it made him feel inside. How since the first time Lando had done that it had felt safe, like home.

     “You’re my husband,” said Lando. “No matter what may come to pass, we stand together. That’s what we vowed. I don’t pretend to understand anything about the Jedi or the Force, or even know if I would’ve been able to help, but I could’ve been there for you!”

     Luke reached for Lando’s hands. “I’m so sorry, Lando. I completely understand if you never wanna see me again–”

     “What?” Lando stared at Luke incredulously. “Do you really think I came all this way just to say I don’t wanna see you again? Luke, I love you. I’ve missed you. I want you to come _home_.”

     Behind them Rey tilted her head, as if to say “told you so”. It had been fifteen years, but Luke couldn’t help but note that he and Lando had managed to raise one sarcastic kid after all. Finn, Chewie, and Artoo retreated to the Falcon, with Finn mumbling something about checking how the gunner’s seat was and if he had to make any adjustments.

     “Oh, and one more thing,” Lando said, and was finally smiling.

     “What?” The corner of Luke’s mouth twitched, and he heard Rey mutter something like “so _that’s_ where it comes from”, whatever that meant.

     Lando touched Luke’s beard and sighed, “We have to do something about this beard. It’s sloppy, and you know we don’t do sloppy in this family.”

     Luke burst into laughter and hugged Lando. Lando responded by kissing him full on the mouth, something that caught Luke completely off guard. Luke sensed very vaguely that Rey had suddenly become very interested in the Porgs that were wobbling around before all of his focus went back to Lando. He had missed this, the feeling of Lando, kissing him, holding him… why, oh why had he ever thought dropping everything and leaving Lando had been a good idea?

     “Same cape…” Lando grumbled under his breath as they broke apart, shaking his head. “Luke, please! I’m not Han!”

     “Well, in my defence, I haven’t seen you in seven years–” Luke said.

     “And whose fault is that?”

      “–and if I’m quite honest, all your capes look pretty much the same.”

     Lando was very unimpressed. “Oh, you’re so lucky that I love you.”

     Behind them Rey was choking from restrained giggles. That was another thing Luke had missed and thought he would never see again, that laugh. Luke let go of Lando and approached their daughter. Rey managed to stop laughing but she kept smiling, which was definitely a good sign. She did cross her arms, though.

     “Just so you know, saying anything negative about Dad’s capes is a bad idea,” Rey stated. “I tried to make him leave it home and he made a dad joke. You got off easy.”

     Luke snorted and turned to look at Lando again. “You know, this is one sarcastic kid that we have here, Lando.”

     Lando just rolled his eyes. “She’s our kid, Luke, what were you expecting?”

     Rey laughed and threw her arms around Luke, and once again he was taken by a surprise. She was a woman grown now, but even so the embrace was familiar. Not long after Lando wrapped his arms around the both of them, and Luke was overcome with his emotions. Maybe this was a dream, and if it was, he didn’t want to wake up.

     In his arms Rey tensed all of the sudden and gasped.

     “Sunshine?” said Lando. “Are you alright?”

     Rey looked up at Luke and tightened her grip of his Jedi robes. “All that pain, for so many years,” she breathed, her voice trembling. “I had no idea, I… you were alone with it, all those years. I’m so, so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that…”

     “Rey, if anyone here needs to apologise, it’s me.” Luke pressed his forehead against Rey’s. “I needed to hear it. Get back to reality.”

     Luke pulled his left hand from Rey’s back and reached for the folded drawing in his pocket. Lando let out a weird mix of a sniffle and a laugh when he saw it.

     “Can’t believe you still have that,” he said. “I thought it was lost in fire when…”

     He didn’t need to finish the sentence, Luke knew what he meant, and so did Rey. Rey wiped her eyes and smiled at the drawing.

     “I think I need to draw an updated version of it when we get back home.” She frowned and looked at Luke again. “You… you’re coming home with us, right?”

     Luke nodded. “And I’m never leaving either of you again.”

     Artoo emerged from the _Falcon_ and screeched. That couldn’t have been good. Soon after Finn ran down the boarding ramp and exclaimed, “Artoo picked up several incoming fighters, and they’re not from the Resistance!”

     Lando said what everyone was thinking.

     “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert here me humming Darth Vader's theme*
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	9. Lando Calrissian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing brings family together like trash-talking a mutually hated person while escaping a fascist organisation.
> 
> Or mourning a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be a fun action-packed chapter. Which it is. But all the feels surprised me. I did not plan to make myself cry so soon after last chapter.
> 
> And it's time for our first Lando pov! I make some references to my upcoming prequel that centers around him and Luke's story (which I hope I'll finish sometime soon).
> 
> Hope you enjoy ♥

The roaring noise of incoming TIE Fighters echoed over the ocean. There was no knowing how close or far they were, but Lando wasn’t going to stay to find out. That noise reminded him too much about the second Death Star. Rey ran past him to the Falcon’s cockpit when they all got inside and the engines revved.

     “Buckle up, we’re in for a bumpy ride,” she said. “Finn!”

     “Yeah, I’m on it!” Finn replied and ran to the lower gunner’s seat.

     “Chewie, put the shields up!” Rey turned to Lando. “Dad, how’s the hyperdrive?”

     Lando checked the readings. “Uh, still loading!”

     Something hit them just as they got into the air and the control panel was screaming murder. The deflector shields had been hit and they were down. Chewie cursed and got up.

     “ _I’ll go fix the shields_ ,” he howled. “ _Lando, take the wheel!_ ”

     “Okaaaay,” said Lando and sat in the co-pilot’s seat after Chewie left. He hadn’t piloted the _Falcon_ for years, and this wasn’t exactly how he had pictured flying with his daughter for the first time either. It wasn’t as if he’d thought of trying the 11.5 parsecs instantly, but escaping TIE Fighters hadn’t really been the plan. But Rey really was every bit his and Luke’s daughter with those flying skills.

     “Hold on!” Rey shouted and steered the Falcon near the surface of the ocean before pulling up fast, making two TIE Fighters collide while Finn shot down two others.

     “You don’t have to do this to impress me!” exclaimed Luke.

     “I’m not trying to impress anyone!” Rey snapped. “These are called evasive actions! You’re a pilot, you blew up the first Death Star, you’ve surely heard of them! HOLD ON!”

     The _Falcon_ spun around (and Chewie swore a lot), making it out of Ahch-To’s atmosphere, only to meet more TIE Fighters and several First Order cruisers.

     “How are these nerf-herders here?” Lando asked not particularly from anyone, and turned to look at Luke. “I thought only the Resistance knew about where you were.”

     “Yeah, so did I,” said Luke, making a face at the cruisers. “Artoo, scan for tracking devices, okay?”

     Artoo beeped affirmatively and rolled away.

     “ _I NEED HELP HERE!_ ” Finn shouted in the comlink. “ _Can anyone come and man the upper gun?_ ”

     Luke got up and handed his Jedi robe to Lando. “I’ll do it. Been a while since the last time but I can handle it.”

     Lando grimaced at the robe after Luke had left the cockpit. That thing had to go, it was extremely unflattering on Luke. The material alone made him want to barf, not to mention how it smelled. Next to him Rey snorted a laugh.

     “You’re gonna throw that in garbage and burn it, aren’t you?” she grinned, eyes never leaving the controls.

     “Look at it, Rey,” Lando said with subtle disgust in his tone. “It’s hideous. I don’t know if it’s ever even been washed, and the material is… ugh, this is exactly what happens when I’m not around to make sure your father looks presentable!”

     “ _I heard that!_ ” Luke’s voice in the comlink said.

     “Why are you shouting at me?” asked Lando. “You know I’m right.”

     “ _Hey, can you two fight about fashion later?_ ” snapped Finn. “ _We still have incoming Fighters to blast, not to mention the cruisers!_ ”

     More TIE Fighters charged, and Lando and Rey had to put all of their combined skills to work to evade them. The deflector shield was up again but Chewie hadn’t returned.

     “Now they’re chasing us,” said Lando while he kept checking the hyperdrive. It still hadn’t fully loaded. “Now they’re firing at us!”

     “Yes, thanks for the commentary, Dad, it’s not at all distracting!”

     The _Falcon_ dove under the nearest cruiser, causing some of the TIE Fighters following them crash right into it, but most of them survived and kept chasing them. Finn and Luke kept firing back, and what Lando could see from the screens their accuracy was impeccable. Maybe it was the Force, or maybe they just were really good gunners, or both. Lando wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter, as long as they hit the targets.

     “FINN!” Rey shouted into the comlink.

     “ _What?_ ” Finn answered.

     “Let’s do the trick we did on Jakku!”

     “ _Are you serious?!_ ”

     “They won’t see it coming! Get ready!”

     “ _I’m ready!_ ”

     “What–” was all Lando managed to say before Rey turned the _Falcon_ so that she was upside down. And right that moment Finn fired at the remaining TIE Fighter and destroyed it.

     “Woo!” Lando cheered.

     “Nice shot!” Rey shouted and turned the _Falcon_ around again, pulling up and steering her at the cruisers in front of them. Lando grinned; he knew this trick. Flying close to the cruisers messed up their tracking systems.

     The comlink rattled again. “ _Hey, Lando?_ ” said Luke.

     “Yeah?”

     “ _Can we adopt Finn?_ ”

     Finn made a sound that was somewhere in between a cough and a laugh.

     “Let’s talk about that after we survive this mess!” Lando answered.

     “Hey, while you’re at it, take out some of those cannons!” Rey interrupted. “Dad, get ready to punch it as soon as the hyperdrive has loaded.”

     “It’s almost ready!”

     The _Falcon_ emerged from beneath the cruiser only to land in front of a giant dreadnaught, probably the flagship of the fleet. Rey let out a sharp gasp and let go of the controllers. Lando grabbed them right before they crashed into the dreadnaught and steered the _Falcon_ away from it. They were out of the reach of any tractor beam, but they had to get away soon.

     “You okay, Sunshine?” Lando asked.

     “Kylo Ren is on that ship,” Rey answered. “I can sense him. I haven’t sensed him since Crait, I…”

     “Sunshine, breathe,” Luke said at the cockpit’s doorway. “Finn and I finished off the fighters and the cannons,” he added, mostly to Lando, who nodded and reached to take Luke’s hand.

     The comlink rattled as a sign of an incoming transmission. It probably would’ve jammed its way through anyway, but Rey decided to open the connection to speed things up. Finn and Chewie had also reappeared in the cockpit. Lando noted that Finn was squirming where he stood.

     “ _This is General Hux of the First Order_ ,” spoke a voice in the comlink. “ _Supreme Leader Kylo Ren demands you to surrender, or die._ ”

     “General Hugs, you tell that pasty piece of Bantha shit that he’ll get no such pleasure from us!” Rey answered, and then glanced at her family. “Right?”

     Luke leaned over her shoulder and said, “Supreme Leader? You’re kidding me, right? And he can’t even bother to send this message himself? Who died to make him your leader?”

     “Yeah, you couldn’t have appointed a more incompetent person for that job,” Lando added. He suddenly remembered again how it had been when Kylo Ren had arrived to Cloud City a year after Luke had gone missing, and the feeling of having lost the last fuck to give ages ago was back. “You might wanna reconsider his leadership.”

     They could hear heavy breathing, cracked lightsabre sounds, and something breaking. Lando leaned back in the co-pilot’s chair and laughed. He didn’t have to have the foresight of the Jedi to have seen that coming. Chewie added that in his opinion Kylo Ren was an insult to the entire family, how he wished he’d shot him dead on Starkiller Base, and some crude comments about Kylo Ren’s personal hygiene.

     “I have a message for all stormtroopers on board,” Finn said all of the sudden and leaned over Rey’s shoulder to speak into the comlink. “My name is Finn. I was a stormtrooper like you. Now I’m a Resistance Captain. You _all_ have a choice. You don’t have to fight for the First Order, you don’t have to kill for them. You don’t have to die for them. You’re all more than their cannon fodder. The First Order lies to you, they won’t bring peace or order to the Galaxy, they’ll only bring death and ruin.”

     “And I have a message too,” Rey added with a seething tone. “This is for you, Kylo Ren. _I_ am Rey Calrissian-Skywalker, daughter of Rebel Alliance General Lando Calrissian and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and I have _never_ been nothing.”

     The hyperdrive beeped. It was fully loaded. Lando checked that the coordinates were right before he nudged Rey so that they wouldn’t steer the _Falcon_ straight into the dreadnaught. Rey nodded and steered her over the ship instead, close enough that they caught a glimpse of Kylo Ren. Lando and Luke made a two-finger salute at him, just to piss him off a little bit more for the sake of it. Whether or not it worked, they didn’t have time to see, but that really wasn’t the point.

     “Dad, punch it!” exclaimed Rey, and Lando turned the hyperdrive on. Once again, the stars turned into silvery lines as they made the jump into lightspeed. Artoo rolled into the cockpit and whistled. He had scanned the _Falcon_ and found no evidence of any tracking devices.

     Rey let go of the controllers and said, “I can’t feel my legs!”

     Lando tousled her hair. “That was brilliant, from both of you.” He smiled at Finn who grinned back.

     “If my words get even one stormtrooper to consider defecting, it was worth it,” Finn stated. “Or at least make them doubt the First Order at all, that’d be something too.”

     “Well, you never know,” said Luke. “It never hurts to hope.”

     “That’s kind of rich coming from a guy who ditched everything and left to live as a hermit for seven years because he lost all hope,” Lando pointed out before he managed to stop himself. But Luke just nodded and made no effort to defend himself. They’d have to talk things through sooner or later, and Lando quite preferred it to be sooner.

     Rey yawned. “I think I’m gonna go take a nap,” she said. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

     “Nightmares again?” asked Lando.

     “Yeah.” Rey rubbed the back of her neck. “And I ended up wandering into the carbon freeze chambers and beyond because of it, and had a long chat with my grandfather.”

     Luke raised an eyebrow at her. “What kind of a nightmare was that?”

     “Um…” Rey bit her lip. “You and grandfather duelling in the carbon freeze chambers… and later on I had a vision of... the moment he told you he was your father.”

     Luke froze and Lando reached out to take his hand. This had always been a sore subject for Luke.

     “Go take that nap, Sunshine,” Lando said to break the tension. “You too, Finn. You look like you could fall asleep on your feet.”

     Finn nodded, helped Rey up, and they disappeared from the cockpit together. Chewie and Artoo followed the suit, Chewie mumbling something about grabbing a snack. Luke sighed deeply and sat in the now vacated pilot’s chair.

     “Thanks for that,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “I really don’t know why I still can’t deal with what happened back then, but I just can’t.”

     Lando stroked Luke’s arm. “Well, what little I know about it, it must’ve been really traumatic, so I’m not gonna judge you.”

     Luke grinned at him. “Yeah, the only thing you judge is my wardrobe, it seems.”

     “Come _on_ , Luke, the robe is hideous and you know it.”

     “In my defence, the Porgs didn’t care what I was wearing as long as I was nice to them! I could’ve walked around naked and they wouldn’t have given a damn as long as they’d get snacks!”

     “Did you ever even do that?”

     Luke was quiet for a moment. “… No,” he admitted. “It was always too cold.”

     They laughed, and for a moment things were the way they had been all those years ago. But then the spell was broken and they were back to their current situation. And they had to talk it through.

     “Are you angry with me?” Luke asked, and Lando was reminded of the young man who had been scared to death upon confessing that Darth Vader was his father, who had been so certain that Lando was going to hate him for who his father was. And that memory broke Lando’s heart a little bit.

     Lando shook his head. “I’m not gonna say I’m completely fine, but you know full well that I’ve never been able to be angry with you. I was hurt, I think I still am a bit, but angry? No. Besides,” Lando grinned, the special one he kept reserved only for Luke, “it’s really hard to be angry because I’m just so happy to have you back.”

     Luke managed a small smile. “Does that mean you forgive me?”

     Lando leaned his elbows against his knees. “Make me breakfast in bed for at least one month and I’ll consider it.”

     Luke frowned in surprise. “That’s it? Breakfast in bed for one month or so? You’ve got yourself a deal.”

     “In all seriousness, though,” said Lando, grabbed Luke’s hands, and squeezed them, “if we’re to make this work again, we have to communicate. Whatever happens, we have to be honest with each other, and you have to be able to ask for help. Luke, I’ve told you many times that I will help you with anything if you’d just let me. You don’t have to deal with everything alone.”

     Luke nodded. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. And I’ll do my best to let you in. I promise.”

     Lando took Luke’s left hand and pressed it against his lips. Luke snorted.

     “What?”

     “Just making sure you’re still actually here,” shrugged Lando. “That I’m not just dreaming everything. Or that you’re just a Force projection.”

     Luke’s smile was sheepish. “Leia told you about that, huh?”

     “Yep.”

     “Well, I promise you that I am here in person,” Luke said, “and I’m not gonna leave again.”

     “Are you gonna train Rey and Finn?”

     Luke leaned back in the pilot’s chair and nodded. “I told myself not to make any promises but… I might as well just do it. I think I owe both of them that much, especially Rey. They’ll be the last Jedi I’ll train. And then I’ll stay home with you.”

     Lando jumped up and kissed Luke everywhere he could reach, making Luke laugh. Oh, he had missed that laugh so much. Luke kissed him back, and when they broke apart to catch some breath (they really weren’t as young as they once had been anymore), Luke pulled Lando into his lap. That brought back another memory.

     “Remember when we had a go right here?”

     Luke snorted. “How could I forget? The look of pure terror on Han’s face when he walked in on us spread on this control panel is forever etched into my mind.”

     Lando sighed. “I miss him.”

     Luke pulled him against his chest. “I know. I miss him too. A part of me doesn’t even wanna accept that I won’t see him again.”

     “We didn’t even get to say goodbye.” Luke’s beard was ticklish when Lando leaned his cheek against it. “None of us did.”

     They sat like that in silence for a good while. A part of Lando almost expected Han to emerge into the cockpit and tell them to go canoodle someplace else, some people here tried to steer the ship.

     “How’s Leia?” Luke asked finally.

     “Really tired.” Lando thought about Leia, who had been through so much crap and still fought to bring peace to the Galaxy but wouldn’t let herself rest. “She’s pushing herself to the edge. I think she’s working so hard so she wouldn’t have to think about Han. I’ve tried to ease her load, even took up my position as general again to share her duties, but you know how Leia is. She’s not going to let anyone mess with her job.”

     Luke chuckled. “That’s my sister.”

     “Yeah, the two of you certainly share the Skywalker unwillingness to accept help even when you need it,” Lando pointed out. “Thank the Force Rey is a bit easier in that regard. She’s stubborn, but not overly so.”

     “Speaking of whom,” said Luke, “are Rey and Finn, you know, an item or…?”

     “Huh? No,” Lando answered. “Finn has a boyfriend. You remember Poe Dameron, Kes and Shara’s son?”

     Luke nodded. “Yeah, of course. Nice kid, great pilot.”

     “That’s him. And Rey… well, she has kissed Rose two times now, but I’m not completely sure about their relationship status. You’ll have to ask Rey about it.”

     “So she really turned out to be gay,” Luke smirked.

     Lando frowned at him. “Yeah, why?”

     “Because I still remember when she was born and you announced that you were gonna love her so much that no man would ever be good enough for her.”

     “How can you possibly remember something like that?” asked Lando, shaking his head from the amusement. “It was twenty years ago.”

     Suddenly they heard a crash and a loud, “OW!” from the lounge. What the hell, Rey was supposed to be napping! Lando and Luke got up and went to see what was going on. Rey was sitting on the couch, rubbing her hand and glaring at a floating ball. Finn was examining and frowning at the table for some reason.

     “Everything okay here?” Lando asked.

     “That ball thing zapped me!” Rey complained. “I picked it up to see what it was and it zapped me!”

     Luke’s mouth was twitching, like he was trying not to laugh. “Can’t believe that old thing is still functional. I started my lightsabre training with it, right here in this room actually.”

     “Hey, has anyone noticed there’s a holo recording hidden in here?” Finn asked, patting the lounge table. Everyone gathered around it.

     “What?” Rey blurted, forgetting her hurt hand. “No, I had no idea.”

     “ _Me neither_ ,” growled Chewie.

     “Can you turn it on?” Lando asked.

     Finn tried, but the recording was jammed. Rey didn’t have any better luck, so Artoo rolled to the rescue. He managed to remove the recording, and Lando placed it in his holoprojector. A holoprojection of Han Solo appeared over the table.

     “ _Chewie, Finn, Rey– if you’re watching this, it means I didn’t make it_ ,” said Han. Rey grabbed Finn’s hand. “ _But I have things to say to each of you. Rey, I’m fairly sure you’re Luke’s daughter. Your other father is my friend, Lando Calrissian. I don’t know where Luke is, but you can find Lando easily. He lives in Cloud City, in Bespin system. Ask Chewie to take you there if possible._ ”

     Lando made a sound that was somewhere in between a sob and a short laugh. Next to him, Luke was hiding his mouth behind his hand, tearing up.

     “ _Finn._ ” Han paused, probably trying to find words. “ _You’re a good kid. It would’ve been an honour if I could’ve called you my son. If you need a last name to use in the Resistance, Solo is yours if you want it. You more than deserve it._ ”

     Finn sniffled, and Rey wiped her eyes.

     “ _Chewie_ ,” Han continued, and Chewie howled. “ _What can I say? You’re the best friend a guy could’ve asked for. Take care of Leia, and the kids, and Lando if you take Rey to Cloud City, and the_ Falcon _. And drag Luke back to the civilisation for me if you have to. And… take care of yourself too._

     “ _And… I don’t know if you’ll see this but… Leia. I love you. I’m so sorry. I love you so much. I wish we’d had more time._ ”

     The recording ended. No one said anything for a long while. Han really had been full of surprises, even now he still managed to pull tricks no one had expected. Even Artoo made sad whistles. Han had been an important person to all of them, one way or another.

     Finn was the first to regain his voice, even if it was shaky. “We have to show this to Leia. Do we still have a long way to go?”

     “Afraid so,” said Lando, trying to keep his voice from cracking. “I had to recalculate the coordinates when we were attacked and we’re taking the long way back to Cloud City. Gonna take a few more hours to get there.”

     “He knew.” Rey wiped tears off her face. “I’d been wondering about it. He really did know who I was.”

     Luke wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulders. “That’s Han for you. Always looking after people in his own special ways. I think he’d be proud that you found your way back to us on your own.”

     Lando sat down next to them. If only Han could’ve known that they had found each other. It wasn’t fair. Han should’ve been here with them. They hadn’t even had a body to burn. Whatever there had been left had been blown into atoms with the Starkiller Base. Han didn’t deserve that.

     Chewie left for a moment and returned with five mugs and a bottle of Corellian wine. Han’s favourite brand, Lando noted. Chewie placed the mugs on the table and opened the cap with his teeth.

     “ _Let’s drink_ ,” Chewie said, “ _for Han._ ”

     Lando was about to translate this to Finn, but he seemed to understand, since he picked up his mug and held it out so Chewie could pour the drink. The couch wasn’t really made for four humans and a Wookiee but somehow they all managed to stay on it. None of them said anything when they raised their mugs. No words were needed when they drank for a friend, a mentor, a brief father figure.

     For Han.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	10. Leia Organa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia needs sleep but is haunted by personal ghosts. The Resistance needs to relocate, and help comes from an unexpected source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the sobfest continues! I swear it will end with this chapter because I can't handle these feels.
> 
> Also I'm pretty sure the Force doesn't work the way it does in this chapter but honestly, I don't care, the plot (and my emotions) demanded it.
> 
> And you can pry bisexual Leia Organa from my cold dead hands.
> 
> Dedicated to our princess, Carrie Fisher.
> 
> Enjoy!

“… and in addition to the positive transmissions from Evaan Verlaine and Wedge Antilles, the Queen of Artorias officially pledges her support to the Resistance… Leia, are you alright?”

     Leia looked up from her datapad that she hadn’t actually been reading, rather than dozing off. “Hm? I’m sorry, Poe, what did you say?”

     Poe shook his head at her. “Leia, when was the last time you slept? And I mean actually slept and not just took those power naps.”

     The truthful answer was that Leia didn’t know. There was so much on her mind and while a reasonable part in her knew that she had to rest, the dutiful part in her insisted on powering on. She couldn’t stop, not now when the Resistance was so fragile.

     Poe repeated his report and played the transmission the Queen of Artorias had sent, and Leia sighed with relief. She had been counting on Evaan and Wedge returning from their retirement days, both of them renowned Rebel Alliance pilots, but knowing that Queen Miriadel was on their side as well made things even better. They had served in the Galactic Senate at the same time, and both Miriadel and her wife, the Lady Ayana, were Leia’s good friends, along with their three children. Artorias was nominally a neutral system, but ever since the destruction of Alderaan they had secretly supported first the Rebel Alliance and now the Resistance.

     “I need to send a thank you message to the Queen,” said Leia. “This is the first time Artorias has joined warfare since the time of the Old Rebellion. It’s a risky move from them, and not one they would’ve made lightly.”

     “What you _need_ is a good long nap,” said Poe sternly. “I can handle any urgent business, and I’ll wake you if there’s anything you need to handle personally. Just… rest.”

     “No.” Leia put her datapad down. “I can’t rest, at least not until I know my brother is coming home.”

     “But that might take days,” Poe argued. “You’re not a droid, Leia, you need to sleep. Please. At least for five hours. And I will personally wake you if needed.”

     Leia sighed. Poe was just as stubborn as she was, and she quite admired him for it, but that also meant he wasn’t going to back down. Fine, then, she would try to get some sleep. Truth was, however, that for the past month or so whenever she had closed her eyes, she would only see ghosts. Whether it was Han, or Amilyn, or her parents, it didn’t matter.

     Leia retired to her quarters, the same ones as the first time she had set foot in Cloud City, the same ones she always used when she was there. They had ghosts of their own, but Leia had long since made her peace with them. As she sat on her bed, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Leia could almost hear Poe say, “I told you so.”

     Maybe it was that she was exhausted, but at first Leia didn’t dream about anything. There was just a pleasant void in her head that hummed. The Force. Leia wasn’t as attuned to it as Luke or Rey, but every now and then she was able to feel it and wield it to some extent. Like now. The Force was what kept the ghosts away.

     Until it didn’t anymore. Images of her parents, Bail and Breha Organa, appeared before her. Leia tried to reach them, but the images faded away. After her parents Amilyn was there for a fleeting moment, and finally, Han. Once again, Leia tried to reach for him – and for her surprise, Han didn’t fade away.

     “ _Leia_ ,” said Han, and his voice had an odd echo. “ _I can’t stay long, I’ve no idea how this works._ ”

     “How does what work?” Leia asked with a frown.

     “ _The Force_ ,” Han answered. “ _Anakin is helping me to stay. He’s… nothing I would’ve expected. I’m here to tell you that Luke’s coming home._ ”

     Leia covered her mouth with her hand. She didn’t ask how Han knew this.

     “I… I miss you so much,” she said. “I always knew what happened was a possible outcome, I just… I never thought it might’ve actually happened, not like that. I wasn’t prepared. I thought I was but I wasn’t.”

     “ _I know_ ,” Han said gently, pressing a kiss on Leia’s forehead. “ _I wasn’t either. I never wanted to leave like that, leave_ you _like that._ ”

     Leia swallowed whatever tears threatened to pour down, snuggling closer to Han. “You know I’d give anything to have you back.”

     “ _You’ll always find me in the Force if you need me_ ,” Han answered, his voice was trembling from emotion. “ _Though I gotta admit I don’t know what that means, but Anakin told me to say that._ ”

      Leia shook her head. “Unless he knows of a way to bring you back, I don’t care what he wants you to tell me.”

     Han chuckled. “ _I told him you might say that. But the point is, I’ll always be with you, even if you can’t actually see me._ ”

     “But it’s not the same as you actually being with me in person.”

     Han sighed. “ _No. It’s not. Anyway, you’ll have to wake up soon. Luke’s almost home. Take care of yourself, don’t push yourself too hard._ ”

     “I promise,” said Leia. Han kissed her one last time, and then – Leia woke up to someone patting her shoulder and calling her name. It took her a moment to realise that it was Poe, just as he had promised.

     Leia rubbed her eyes. She had seen a dream, a pleasant one for a change, and she was sure Han had been in it, but she couldn’t remember the details.

     “Leia,” said Poe, with a wide smile. “The _Falcon_ is about to land. I directed them to the same landing platform from where they left.”

     “Did they say anything about Luke?” Leia asked.

     Poe nodded. “Rey was brief but she did say that ‘we’re all here’ and I’m assuming that means also Master Skywalker.”

     Leia let out a relieved sigh. She got up and followed Poe out to the platform. The closer the _Falcon_ got, the more clearly Leia could sense her brother. He was there, this time for real. Leia could practically feel a great weight that she hadn’t even realised she had been carrying being lifted from her shoulders.

     A few minutes later the _Falcon_ landed on platform HKT-48. Leia couldn’t see inside the cockpit from where she stood with Poe, and Rose, Threepio, and BB-8 who had joined them on their way outside, but this was the clearest she had sensed Luke for years. Leia straightened her back and took a deep breath. Any moment now.

     The boarding ramp of the _Falcon_ opened and Rey was the first to run down, practically jumping into Rose’s arms. The two girls giggled and kissed each other wherever they could reach. Leia looked at them wistfully. It had been a long time since she had been just like them – but Han and Amilyn were both gone, and the paths of her and Evaan had parted a long time ago.

     Next one down was Finn, who also ran to hug Poe, but remarkably calmer than Rey. Of course, Poe was still in the hoverchair, so it was more a precaution than a sign of actual calmness. What a beautiful and innocent thing young love was.

     And then – finally. Luke and Lando walked down the ramp, holding hands, and whatever resentment Leia had felt towards her brother vanished into the vast space. The twins stared at each other for a moment before Luke let go of Lando’s hand and walked to Leia, and they embraced for real for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

     “You’re here,” said Leia, pressing her head against Luke’s shoulder.

     “I’m here,” Luke agreed, “and I’m not gonna leave again.”

     “You never should’ve left in the first place.” Leia looked up at her brother, shaking her head at him. “Not when we all needed you.”

     Luke nodded. “I know. Rey and Lando both already told me off about it.”

     Leia managed to grin at him. “Then you don’t need me to do the same, I hope.”

     Luke laughed, and Leia held him tighter. They had much to talk about, plans to go through, but right now all those things could wait. The war could wait for a while. Right now, Leia wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with her family, or what was left of it anyway.

     Threepio approached them. “Master Luke, sir, it is so good to see you again.”

     “It’s good to see you too, Threepio,” Luke smiled at the protocol droid. “I hope you haven’t been too worried about me.”

     Leia rolled her eyes. “We’ve all been worried, want it or not.”

     Luke’s smile was sheepish. “For what it’s worth, I know now that it was a mistake to leave, and I’m sorry that I did. I was ashamed of what happened, I felt like I’d failed everyone.”

     Leia shook her head at him again. “You’re many things, Luke Skywalker, but never a failure. I thought you knew that. What happened to…” Leia couldn’t bring herself to say the words “my son” no matter how she tried. “… What happened back then wasn’t your fault. None of us ever thought that. No one… no one forced him to be consumed by the Dark Side.”

     Lando had appeared behind them and he cleared his throat. Leia let go of Luke and looked up at Lando. “What is it?”

     “We only made it back this quickly because we were attacked by the First Order,” Lando told her. Leia frowned. Only the Resistance knew for certain where Luke had been, they had had the remaining piece of the map. And there went her hope to spend the rest of the day in peace and quiet.

     “Did they track you?” Leia asked.

     “They couldn’t have,” said Luke. “Artoo scanned the _Falcon_ and there was no evidence of any tracking devices of any kind.”

     “Well, they were able to track us through hyperspace with a new kind of tracking technology,” said Leia, rubbing her chin. “Maybe they used that on the _Falcon_ as well, though I don’t know how.”

     “Or then,” Rey put in with a guilty look on her face, “it’s my fault. When Kylo Ren and I shared a Force bond, and when he first probed my mind for information, he said he could see an island. Maybe the First Order was finally able to put two and two together and deduct Luke’s whereabouts.”

     Rey’s words made Rose squeeze her hand. Finn also materialised behind Rey, pressing his hand on her shoulder and shaking his head. BB-8 made a series of beeps that Leia was sure were meant to be reassuring.

     “Hey now, that’s nowhere near your fault, Sunshine,” Lando protested. “You never asked for him to torture you, or have that Force bond placed there against your consent.”

     “Lando is right,” Leia agreed. “But however they managed to figure it out, it means they can also find us here. We need to relocate, and I think I know exactly where. Let’s go inside, we have a lot to talk about.”

     Leia led the group to the conference room and had Poe alert Colonel Connix and Commander Tico to tell all the remaining Resistance members to join them there. They had been truly fortunate that Artorias had decided to pledge their support. The planet was peaceful but also heavily shielded from outsiders. Now all Leia needed was to send a message to Queen Miriadel and arrange a meeting.

     Not far from Leia a wildly blushing Rose was trying to introduce herself to Luke, and Leia was unable to suppress a giggle. Oh, some things didn’t change. Everyone thought her brother was a mighty Jedi Knight, which he was, there was no denying it, but Leia had also seen him trip on the hems of his own robes on several occasions, and it sure took away a lot of the impression.

     “Rose made enhancements to the _Falcon’s_ hyperdrive,” Rey said to help Rose out, “and she fixed this.”

     Rey pulled out the old Skywalker lightsabre from her bag. “It got broken in half. Without Rose it would’ve remained like that.”

     Luke frowned. “How did you know it was fixable at all?”

     Now it was Rey’s turn to blush, and Leia giggled again. Oh, Rey was Luke’s daughter alright, they both had a similar guilty expression when they thought they were in trouble.

     “Um,” Rey coughed. “I… I might’ve smuggled the ancient Jedi texts on the _Falcon_ , one of them being ‘Lightsabres for Dummies’.”

     Luke was at loss of words. “You… you actually smuggled those out of Ahch-To and I didn’t sense anything?”

     Leia felt immense pride of her niece. The future of the family was in good hands.

     Lando leaned against Luke’s shoulders. “She’s our daughter, you shouldn’t sound so surprised.”

     Now most of the Resistance had gathered in the conference room, so Leia remained standing and cleared her throat. Everyone sat down, eyes on her. Alright, Leia didn’t have a speech prepared, but this wasn’t the first time she made one up from scratch.

     “I have good news and bad news for all of you,” she began. “Good news is that my brother, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, has finally returned to us.”

     Excited whispering filled the room and several people stretched in their chairs in attempts to try to see Luke better. Luke himself leaned back in his chair and tried to hide behind Lando. Leia suppressed the desire to roll her eyes.

     “The bad news is that the First Order seemed to know about his location and attacked the _Millennium Falcon_ ,” Leia continued. “Now, I sincerely hope I can trust everyone here. Most of you knew about the map and I know all of you, and personally I don’t think any of you would’ve betrayed that information to the First Order. However, if the First Order was able to track my brother down, it means they might have the means to track us down here as well.”

     “But do we have anywhere to relocate, General?” asked Tace, a fellow Alderaanian survivor.

     Leia smiled. “Fortunately, we received a transmission from Queen Miriadel of Artorias earlier today. Vice-admiral Dameron, if you could play it?”

     Poe nodded and put the holo chip BB-8 handed him into the projector. A holoprojection of a tall black woman in full Artorian regalia appeared over the table.

     “ _General Organa – Leia_ ,” the woman, Queen Miriadel, spoke in a deep voice, “ _Artorias has received news that the Resistance has suffered great losses recently. As one of my dearest friends I want you to know that Artorias is willing to both receive you and aid you as well as we can. The council voted about it today and the vote was unanimous. Artorias is officially part of the Resistance. I only hope this transmission doesn’t end up in wrong hands. Princess Tressa assures me that she will encrypt it several times, but I know you won’t blame me for worrying. If you need refuge, please know that the Resistance has a home here on Artorias._ ”

     The transmission ended. Leia looked over the table at each member of the Resistance.

     “I will send Queen Miriadel a transmission later today, informing her that we will gather on Artorias,” she said. “I will also send one to Kes Dameron on Yavin 4. We need all the members we can get. I feel that the decisive battle is at hand sooner than anticipated. So if any of you know of any people who would consider joining our cause, now is the time to inform them.”

     Chatter resumed, and Leia noticed that Lando leaned against his elbows and had the look he always had when he was plotting something. Whatever it was, Leia trusted his judgement.

     “One more thing,” Leia called over the chatter, and everyone fell silent. “We will not all leave at the same time, or use the same routes. You will divide into small groups. This is only a precaution, and I trust that each group will have at least one capable pilot. The first groups will leave tomorrow, so I want all of you to pack whatever you need and prepare to take off. Thank you.”

     The Resistance members scattered one by one until the only people left in the conference room were Leia, her family, Finn, Poe, Rose, and the droids. Finn got up from his chair and walked to Leia.

     “There’s something you need to see,” he said. “I found a holo recording in the _Falcon_ on our way back. It’s… it’s from Han.”

     Leia sank in her chair. She had not expected to hear that. “Show me,” she said regardless, and Artoo rolled over to her. Of course Artoo would have the recording, that droid had probably carried all of this family’s important messages.

     Artoo turned the recording on, and though Leia had thought she had steeled herself for this, tears welled in her eyes when the holoprojection of her husband appeared in front of her. The message was meant for Finn, Rey, and Chewie, but Leia listened intently, keeping herself together the best she could. Until she couldn’t anymore.

     “ _And…_ ” Han said, searching for words. “ _I don’t know if you’ll see this but… Leia. I love you. I’m so sorry. I love you so much. I wish we’d had more time._ ”

     Leia hadn’t even realised that she was openly crying or that Luke and Lando were standing on each side of her until she felt their hands on her shoulders. She wiped her eyes and looked at Finn again, and instantly knew what he was thinking. And to her own surprise she felt good with the idea, and it had been Han’s wish as well.

     Leia smiled at Finn and said, “Welcome to the family, Captain Finn Solo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be Finn pov.
> 
> And there's a reason I'm bringing Artorias up now *wink wink nudge nudge* but it's a secret for now~
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	11. Finn III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn starts to juggle between becoming a Jedi and being a Resistance Captain when a surprise mission comes his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the extra week of wait~ I was marathoning Star Wars Rebels and it took quite a bit of time from my writing. But here we are!
> 
> It was nice to get back to Finn, I love writing him^^ This chapter was originally going to include even more stuff but I felt it was getting too info dump-ey, so I decided to cut it in half and put the mission in the next Finn pov chapter (chapter 13, probably).
> 
> Enjoy!

The comlink on the table buzzed.

     “ _Captain Solo, come in! Captain Solo!_ ”

     “Uh, Finn?” said Poe, handing the comlink over to a meditating Finn. “That’s for you.”

     Finn looked up at Poe with a blank face for a moment before he remembered. “Oh! Right!” Finn grabbed the comlink. “Captain Solo receiving, what is it?”

     Paige laughed in the comlink. “ _Just helping you to get used to your new title. Also, the first group is ready to go. Colonel Connix is leaving with them. Are you and Vice-admiral Dameron busy or do you have the time to come see them off?_ ”

     “We’ll be right over, Commander Tico,” Finn answered, going for his most professional tone, though he wasn’t sure how well he executed it, given that Poe snorted a laugh. “Captain Solo over and out.”

     Finn put his comlink away and tilted his head at Poe who was still grinning.

     “You sound so different when you’re being Captain Solo,” Poe said. “It suits you, you sound… really professional and… kind of sexy.”

     “It’s gonna take forever for me to get used to the title, though,” Finn snorted and kissed Poe on his temple. “I mean, when I hear it, the first thing I think is ‘okay, that’s for Han’, and then I remember that oh right it actually means me.”

     While they talked the couple walked (or, in Poe’s case, floated) down to the hangar. Lando had secured several freighters for the Resistance to use, and the first group to leave was currently finishing with the final loading. Paige and Kaydel exchanged a tearful farewell, even if they would see each other again in a few days. The group would send a transmission from Artorias as soon as they had settled, and Leia had assured that the younger of Queen Miriadel and Lady Ayana’s two daughters, the Princess Tressa, knew how to make encryptions extremely secure. What Finn gathered from Leia was that the young princess was a real tech genius and already designed and built most of the defence mechanisms on Artorias.

     “So, what now?” Poe asked after the freighter had taken off and left Cloud City’s atmosphere. Paige had left as soon as the ship had left the hangar, she had to do some packing herself. Her group was leaving tomorrow and as commander she couldn’t afford to do anything by halves, so Finn and Poe excused her.

     Finn crossed his arms and made a face. “I’m supposed to start the Jedi training properly now that Master Skywalker is back, but I just don’t know how we can train with only one lightsabre now that there’s three of us who need it.”

     Poe nodded in understanding as they started to head back to the training hall. “Do you even have any means to build your own?”

     “I don’t know,” Finn sighed. “I read the ‘Lightsabres for Dummies’ thing the other night and other components are relatively easy to come by unless you wanna use some really special metal like Haysian gold. It’s the kyber crystals that are a problem. Like Rey told me a few weeks back, those don’t exactly grow in trees.”

     Poe scrunched his face, but reached out to stroke Finn’s bicep (Finn was pretty certain that his problem was just an excuse for Poe to do that, not that he minded the gesture at all). “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have faith that you find kyber crystals somewhere.”

     Finn’s comlink beeped again.

     “Captain Solo receiving,” Finn answered.

     “ _Finn, come to the training hall as soon as you can!_ ” Rey shouted from the other side. “ _Luke’s made an exercise for us and we have so much to learn and I’m honestly freaking out!_ ”

     Finn snorted a laugh into his comlink. “Hi, Rey. Have you considered breathing?”

     A sigh rattled the comlink and Finn could practically hear Rey rolling her eyes. “ _Ha ha. Anyway, get here as quickly as possible, okay?_ ”

     “I’ll be right over,” Finn promised. “Captain Solo, over and out.”

     “ _Stop that, it sounds so weird!_ ”

     “It’s my title and we all have to get used to it!”

     “ _I’m talking about your tone! Don’t sound so official!_ ”

     Finn turned the comlink off with a laugh. Judging from Rey’s tone it was definitely a good thing she had refused any military titles. Apparently just being a Jedi-in-training (Padawan, Finn believed was the correct word) was getting her stressed enough. And, well, it was stressful, Finn wasn’t going to deny it. They really didn’t have a lot of time to learn all the necessary Jedi skills, and there was still the looming issue of having only one lightsabre.

     Finn looked at Poe. “So, I gotta go. Do you wanna tag along or do you have any vice-admiral duties to attend?”

     “The latter,” said Poe. “As much as I’d love to see what Master Skywalker has come up with, I have to check if we’ve had any new recruits or messages from Yavin 4. By the way, speaking of Yavin 4, my dad is joining us on Artorias, just so you have a heads-up.”

     Oh. Right. Of course Kes Dameron would join them, he led the intel faction of Yavin 4 after all. Meeting him didn’t especially scare Finn; he knew that Kes liked him already simply for having saved Poe’s life, but… well, he’d meet his boyfriend’s dad, he had to make a good second impression. (Finn still marvelled at the fact that Rose had been able to keep herself together so well upon meeting Luke, especially considering that Luke was one of her idols. He’d have to ask her how she did it.)

     Finn kissed Poe goodbye when they got to Leia’s office, and then Finn headed to the training hall. Rey’s tone could honestly mean anything concerning the exercise, but Finn was somewhat certain that Luke wouldn’t start with, well, live Rancors or whatever. They’d probably start with something relatively easy and Rey was just overreacting over the comm. Or at least Finn hoped so.

     Once Finn reached the training hall, he was dead certain that Rey had overreacted. Luke had spread several low-powered blaster balls into a circle on the floor. If that was the exercise it didn’t seem too hard. Rey, however, was biting at her thumbnail.

     “Okay, I’m here,” Finn greeted the Calrissian-Skywalker family. “So what are we up to?”

     “Luke was up all night, coming up with this exercise for you two,” Lando commented, and something in his tone told Finn that he wasn’t entirely happy with Luke.

     Rey frowned at Luke. “Is that even healthy?”

     “One all-nighter won’t kill me,” said Luke. “Especially since after Crait I’ve mostly just slept.”

     “Okay, whatever you say,” Rey mumbled under her breath, though Finn was pretty sure Luke heard her.

     Luke reached out and the blaster balls rose into the air.

     “I came up with this exercise to see the level of your lightsabre skills,” he commented, gesturing at the balls with his free hand. “You have to block the bolts. Who wants to go first?”

     Finn and Rey looked at each other but neither made any movement to imply that they were inclined to start.

     Luke huffed. “Well, don’t both of you rush into it at once, you’ll each get your turn.”

     Rey rolled her eyes at her father and sighed, grabbing the lightsabre. “Okay, I’ll go first. Let’s get this over with.”

     She settled in the middle of the circle and ignited the sabre.

    “Oh, one more thing,” said Luke, pulled out an old pilot’s helmet with a solid visor and placed it on Rey’s head so she didn’t see anything behind it. “You’ll have to wear this.”

     “WHAT?!” Finn and Rey shrieked at the same time. Lando snorted a laugh and sat down in the corner, muttering something about regretting not having brought popcorn.

     “Luke, what the kriffing hell?!” Rey protested. “How are we gonna block these things if we can’t see anything?”

     Luke crossed his arms. “Trust me, you can do it. My very first exercise was very much like this.”

     “I didn’t use that many blaster balls, though,” said an echoing voice next to Luke. Obi-Wan had decided to grace them with his company. Finn smiled at the old Jedi Master, but Luke just rolled his eyes.

     “That was only because we only had one at hand, and you know it,” he scoffed. “Also I have a bone to pick with you and my father, starting with neither of you giving me a heads-up about Rey. Just a short visit, could’ve just been a ‘hello Luke, your daughter is alive, see you’, but _no_. You had to be dramatic, didn’t you?”

     Well, to Obi-Wan’s credit, he did have the courtesy to look ashamed.

     Rey lifted the helmet off her face. “Can we please skip the family drama for another time and get this over with?”

     The blaster balls started to make noises, indicating they had been turned on, and Rey placed the helmet back on her face. Finn noticed that she took a deep breath just before the blaster balls started to shoot at her. Apart from a couple of stray shots Rey was able to block all of them and even accidentally cut one of the balls in half. Her movements had improved greatly from their first training session and most of the time she wielded the lightsabre with only one hand.

     Rey turned the lightsabre off and lifted the helmet from her face again. “Sorry about that one ball,” she said with a sheepish smile. “How’d it go?”

     Luke and Obi-Wan nodded approvingly.

     “Not bad at all,” Luke said. “You lack discipline, but you move well. You balance a lot with your free hand, usually the left, so I wonder if you’d be even more efficient with dual sabres.”

     Rey shrugged and then her smile turned sly the way it did when she had a wild idea. “Could it be dual sabres that I can also put together to make a double-bladed sabre?”

     Luke laughed. “Let’s start with the dual sabres. Alright then, Finn, you’re on.”

     Finn swallowed nothing as Rey passed him the lightsabre and the helmet. Alright, stay calm, he told himself. Just like Rey had done it. It wasn’t that hard. Finn had fought Kylo Ren without any training and survived – even if he had got a huge scar in his back, but he had survived and even managed to injure Kylo Ren. He could handle a few blaster balls. (Still, the lightsabre felt weird in his hand, Finn could’ve given anything for a good blaster, okay no, he had to calm down, this was just an exercise…)

     Many blaster shots later Finn removed the helmet from his face and shook his head at himself. That had been so bad. He hadn’t been able to calm down after all and the fact that he hadn’t seen anything hadn’t exactly made things any easier. He’d managed to block about half of the shots. Still, Luke didn’t seem disappointed.

     “Before you say anything, that wasn’t bad for your first try,” he said. “As far as I can tell, the only thing you lack is confidence. The last five blocks were excellent because your concentration returned. I also think you both will do a lot better once you build your own lightsabres.”

     “I agree,” Obi-Wan added. “Having your own lightsabres definitely helps you to get in touch with your skills.”

     Finn passed the lightsabre back to Luke and sat on one of the chairs they’d brought to the sides of the training hall. Building a lightsabre really was easier said than done. “Do we even have any components?” he asked.

     “Well, other components are easy to come by,” said Luke, “but the kyber crystals are admittedly a problem. I had some at my Temple back in the day but those are gone. And the crystal caves of Ilum and Jedha are destroyed too, for the most part anyway.”

     Lando cleared his throat. “Um, I managed to salvage some crystals from the Temple.”

     Finn, Rey, Luke, and Obi-Wan turned to stare at Lando. Was he really saying that he had some kyber crystals here in Cloud City?

     Lando rolled his eyes at all of them. “I used to be a smuggler, salvaging and delivering rare items is literally what I did for a living. Don’t be so surprised.”

     The smile that spread on Luke’s face couldn’t have been more loving. “I knew I married you for a reason!”

     “I thought the reason was my sweet ass,” Lando said, grinning at Luke.

     Luke shrugged. “Well, that too.”

     “Aaaand that’s way too much information,” said Rey and hid her face in her hands. Her face was bright red. Obi-Wan had decided to just vanish. Sometimes being a Force ghost sure had its perks.

     “Anyway,” Finn put in to change the subject and save Rey from spontaneously combusting over second-hand embarrassment, “I suppose we should see those crystals. I mean, the sooner we have our own lightsabres built the better, right?”

     Lando agreed and left the training hall to get the crystals. In the meantime Luke took up “Lightsabres for Dummies” and studied the page about building a sabre. Judging from his expressions he wasn’t too happy with what he was reading.

     “Well, a lot of this information is really outdated,” Luke sighed. “’Lightsabres for Dummies’ indeed. I’d say from experience that you two shouldn’t rely on this book alone.”

     “How did you build your sabre then?” Finn asked.

     “Instinct, and the Force.” Luke smiled a bit. “And I had help from my father’s old Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. I ran into her by a chance when I was looking for kyber crystals. She had helped many younglings with their sabres so she knew what she was doing. I’ll guide you both through it.”

     Lando returned a while later with a small wooden box and passed it to Luke.

     “So, how does this work?” Rey asked. “How do we choose the crystals?”

     “More like the crystals choose you,” Luke explained. “Though we might have to bend the rules a bit now that there aren’t many options. The right crystal should glow for you, and only for you, but given our situation, if it feels right otherwise, it should be safe to use.”

     Luke opened the box to show about a dozen small crystals of different shades of green and blue. Rey gasped and picked out two bright green crystals, announcing that they had the most dazzling sparkle she had ever seen in her life.

     Finn took several good looks at the crystals and even weighed some of them in his hand, but no. None of them glowed or sparkled, and none of them felt right. It was hard to keep the disappointment to himself – and the way Rey glanced at him with worry in her eyes made clear that she was able to sense it. Finn sighed and shook his head.

     “None of these are mine, even for temporary use.”

     Luke frowned. “Are you sure?”

     Finn nodded. “Dead sure. I… I can’t really explain it, but I feel that my crystal is out there somewhere, and it has to be that one.”

     Before anyone was able to say anything to that, Rose barged in. She leaned against the door frame and tried to catch her breath.

     “You okay there?” Lando asked.

     Rose lifted her hand, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m good. Sorry to interrupt like this but an X-Wing from Yavin 4 landed not too long ago. It’s Jess Pava, and she has a message for Finn.”

     Finn barely even noticed the walk to Leia’s office where Resistance pilot Jessika Pava was indeed waiting for them in her orange pilot fatigues. Judging from the looks on Poe and Leia’s faces her news had been something no one could’ve expected even in their wildest dreams. Jess turned and nodded at Finn while picking up a pad containing a holo chip.

     “Captain,” she greeted and obviously tried to go for a smile but didn’t quite manage it.

     “What’s the matter?” asked Finn.

     “You’re not gonna believe this, Finn,” said Poe, still dumbstruck. “Jess says… actually, Jess, you tell him.”

     Jess squirmed a bit where she stood. “Well, the thing is, uh, Snap, Karé and I were sent on a quick intel mission on Corellia. Nothing too drastic, but we were supposed to spy on a First Order facility there. While we were at it, we… we ran into a group of defected stormtroopers.”

     Finn’s mouth fell open. He had been right, this truly was something he hadn’t expected to hear even in his wildest dreams. Sure, he had made that speech over the hijacked First Order comm, but that had been two days ago. There was no way the message could’ve got this effective so quickly. Some of those troopers had to have been planning on defecting for some time now.

     Jess turned the datapad on, and a hologram of a stormtrooper appeared. “One of them wanted to send you a message,” Jess said to Finn. “Apparently you’re something of a celebrity among the group.”

     The trooper on Jess’ transmission removed their helmet and revealed the face of a solemn brown woman, maybe a few years older than Finn was, with short brown hair as was the standard.

     “ _Captain Finn, my name is DN-1983–_ ” She made a face. “ _Dany. My_ name _is Dany. I lead a group of eleven former troopers, myself included, and nine cadets we were able to rescue from the training facility on Corellia. I regret that I’m unable to deliver this message to you in person, but these pilots are suspicious of us, and I don’t blame them for it. We are, however, in dire need of your help. Two of our cadets are infants and badly malnourished, and the rest of us are more or less injured from the breakout. This is our most desperate hour. Help us, Captain Finn, you’re our only hope._ ”

     Jess turned the transmission off and looked at Finn, Rey, and Luke.

     “Well? Did it seem alright to you?”

     “It’s hard to tell from a transmission,” Luke said, “but I didn’t sense any dishonesty.”

     Rey shook her head. “Me neither.”

     Finn bit his lip and turned to Jess. “Is it true what she said? That they have malnourished babies with them?”

     “Yeah,” answered Jess. “Karé and Snap stayed to look after them, but we only had our X-Wings, so we don’t have any means to move them even if we’d got the permission to do so.”

     Finn turned to Rey and Luke. “I have to go see them. If they really have defected, I need to look after them.”

     Luke placed his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “I agree. If anyone can help them, it’s you. It’ll postpone the construction of your lightsabre but we’ll worry about that when you get back.”

     Finn smiled at Luke. He had to do this. This was the spark he had been waiting for, the spark that would light the fire that would start the stormtrooper uprising.

     Poe floated next to Finn. “I’ll go with you. I’m the vice-admiral, so they’ll know we’re serious about this. Maybe it increases mutual trust.”

     The rest of the day went with packing. They would travel light, but even so Finn had a hard time deciding what he actually needed. A blaster was obvious, he wouldn’t walk into a First Order controlled planet unarmed. Maybe some spare clothes as well, and blankets, definitely blankets. The younglings would need them to keep warm in space.

     The ship they were going to use to get to Corellia was one of the bigger ones. Poe had chosen it on the grounds that they were able to fit three X-Wing Fighters inside it with ease. More or less every remaining member of the Resistance was pulling their weight to get it ready for take-off. Finn briefly heard Rose lamenting how she didn’t have the time to boost the hyperdrive like she had with the _Falcon_ while Rey and Chewie were working with the engines. Upon seeing Finn Rey stopped what she was doing and walked to him.

    “Here,” she said, presenting the Skywalker lightsabre to him. “Take this with you. I feel a lot safer if I know you have it with you.”

     Finn shook his head. “Thanks, but I can’t take it. This is supposed to be an undercover mission and, well, me waving a known Jedi weapon around isn’t exactly the safest thing to do. Besides,” Finn looked up at Luke who had appeared behind his daughter, “I also think the fewer people know I’m Force sensitive the greater edge we have against the Knights of Ren.”

     Luke nodded and patted Finn’s shoulder. “I agree. If we keep that as an element of surprise, they’ll seriously underestimate us.”

     Rey sighed with a small smile. “You’re right. Of course you’re right, and logically I know it. It’s just…” She rubbed the back of her neck. “You’re my best friend, and I worry, even if I know you can take care of yourself just fine.”

     Finn and Rey hugged, nuzzling as close to each other as was physically possible. This was silly, they’d see each other again in a few days, tops, and likewise logically Finn knew that Rey was going to be safe. She was with her fathers now, no harm would come to her. But even so, Rey was his best friend and he worried, just as much as Rey worried about him.

     Two hours later the ship was ready for take-off, and Finn joined Poe and Jess in the cockpit. Poe was clearly enjoying himself; it had been a good while since he had last piloted a ship. BB-8 nudged Finn’s foot and whistled. Finn smiled at the droid as the ship left the hangar towards the space.

     This is it, Finn thought as they made the jump to hyperspace. He would soon find out if there was any hope for his plan of stormtrooper uprising. Finn excused himself to the ship’s lounge and began to meditate. He had to stay calm, so much depended now on his ability to keep his senses open.

     But Finn had hope, he had so much hope. He would change the course of this war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke's having the time of his life, using the same methods his teachers used xD he'll have Rey carry him piggyback at some point, mark my words xD
> 
> I also don't believe all stormtroopers are male, and I'm gonna have some of my defectors use they/them pronouns too. I picture Dany looking somewhat like Priyanka Chopra, by the way^^ I modeled her message deliberately after Leia's iconic one (because I'm nothing if not Original Trilogy references)
> 
> Also!! We didn't get Finn and Poe going on a mission together in TLJ (feel my never-ending salt) so we're getting it now!
> 
> I also have plans concerning Finn's lightsaber!! There's a reason none of those crystals were his, and I'm so hyped about it! It's gonna be awesome ;)
> 
> Comments are very much loved ♥


	12. Rey IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Luke have a much needed heart-to-heart, Anakin cannot read the atmosphere to save his life (luckily he's already dead), Lando just honestly adores his family, and *sings* Ahsoka's back, alright!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would've finished this sooner but university caught on. But here we are!
> 
> I've planned including Ahsoka since around chapter three or four and I'm so glad to finally have her around because I love her! I'm also planning on including several characters from Star Wars Rebels because I love them too and this fic is quickly escalating into "I will include every single character who has ever been in Star Wars" lmao
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy!

After Finn and Poe had taken off, Rey decided she needed a moment on her own, so as soon as she had passed the lightsabre back to Luke and no one paid any attention on her, she sneaked into the _Falcon_. At the moment it was the only place with some peace and quiet because the only other person who might’ve showed up was Chewie. She was actually supposed to start building her dual lightsabres, but what with everything that had happened in the past few days, she really needed a break.

     Rey sat in the pilot’s chair, crossing her legs beneath her. Without Finn’s calming presence the meditation wasn’t quite as relaxing as it usually was, but she’d manage. It was going to be just a few days that they’d be apart, and Rey had her own duties that would keep her busy while getting ready to leave for Artorias. In a way they wouldn’t be apart at all.

     Rey leaned back and closed her eyes. Meditating wasn’t working out for her after all, but she did have just enough time to take a short nap before she’d absolutely have to get back and start building her lightsabres.

     The cockpit’s door slid open and Rey turned in the chair to see who the unfortunate person who had disturbed her nap was. Her frown turned into a smile in a second. It was Rose, the only person whose company she actually wanted right now.

     “Am I bothering?” Rose asked.

     Rey shook her head. “No, not at all. Take a seat.”

     Rose sat on the co-pilot’s chair and leaned against her knees. “I knew you’d be here. Your father was asking after you.”

     “Which one of them?”

     “Luke.”

     “First name basis already?” Rey grinned. Rose tilted her head with a smile and shrugged.

     “He insisted on it,” she said. “Said being called ‘Master Skywalker’ was embarrassing. And I don’t mind.”

     “How about my dad? First name basis there too?”

     Rose huffed and rolled her eyes. “Well, kind of, except I still have to call him General Calrissian when on duty and it gets confusing because I keep messing up with the titles. I swear, one of these days I’ll probably accidentally call him dad and embarrass myself in front of the entire Resistance.”

     The pair laughed at the thought. Rey leaned in and asked, “Do you wanna kiss? Because I could honestly use a good kiss now.”

     Rose let out a surprised noise, but got up and sat in Rey’s lap, straddling her legs. Oh, that was not what Rey had expected but she wasn’t going to stop Rose, especially not when the kiss they shared was so good. Rose slid one hand beneath Rey’s shirt, making Rey moan against her lips. She didn’t want this to stop ever, she wanted Rose to take her right there in the _Falcon_ , damn everything else…

     Rey’s comlink beeped several times. She tried ignored it at first, until Luke’s voice forced its way through.

     “ _Rey, answer your comm!_ ”

     Rey sighed. “Gimme a minute, it’s broken.”

     Rose just about stopped herself from giggling by pressing her face against Rey’s shoulder.

     “ _Oh, okay_ ,” Luke answered and the comlink was quiet again. And then Rey and Rose burst into laughter again.

     “That was mean,” Rose managed to say.

     “Let’s see how long it takes before he gets it,” Rey smirked against Rose’s lips.

     Five minutes later the comlink beeped again and Rey turned it on, tears of laughter still sparkling in the corners of her eyes.

     “ _You’re a terrible child_ ,” Luke said with a tone that sounded like he was losing his will to live, and Rey could hear Lando laughing somewhere in the background. “ _You’re killing me. You hear me? You’re killing your father._ ”

     “Don’t be so dramatic.” Rey shook her head at Rose who was still giggling. “What is it?”

     “ _You need to start building your lightsabres._ ”

     Rey lifted Rose off her lap with a resigned sigh. Luke was right of course, they were at war, and duty came first, but even so, it was disappointing that she didn’t seem to be able to catch a moment alone with her girlfriend.

     “Right, give me a minute, I’ll be right over.”

     Rey turned the comlink off and was about to apologise to Rose for the interruption, but Rose just kissed her softly.

     “We’ll do this later,” she said with a smile. “Jedi-ing comes first.”

     Rey snorted a laugh. “I don’t think that’s an actual word.”

     Rose just shrugged and told Rey to go.

     Rey took a quick detour to her quarters to pick up her old staff on a whim and returned to the training hall (and started to feel like she spent more time there than anywhere else in her home city, which was probably accurate). Luke had promised to bring every potential lightsabre component he’d be able to find, and it wasn’t like Rey had even intended to go for rare metals or anything, so the hard part would be the actual building. She still didn’t quite understand how it worked, even if she had read “Lightsabres for Dummies”.

     Right before Rey was able to open the door, she heard talking from the room. She would’ve thought nothing of it otherwise and just walked in if she hadn’t heard her name enter the conversation. What she heard gave her heart a twist.

     “…I just don’t know what to do,” Rey heard Luke’s voice through the door. “I’ve seen how Rey is with you, it’s so natural. I feel like I just screw up every time I try to bond with her. She won’t even call me father or anything like that.”

     “Give her time,” said Lando. “She’s new to all of this, and to be fair I do have a few weeks’ head start.”

     Luke sighed audibly. “I suppose so. And I guess it’s also mostly my fault we had such a rocky start. But I’m still a bit jealous of what you two already have.”

     There was a pause and Rey wasn’t sure what happened, but if she had to take a wild guess, her fathers probably kissed. They did that a lot. Maybe it was partially due the fact that they hadn’t seen each other for years, but still. Not that Rey minded. Of course it was a good thing that they were doing fine. But she had had no idea that was how Luke felt. And now that she thought about it, it was true what he said. She really didn’t call him father or anything like that.

     “Like I said,” Lando said a few moments later, “give it a little time, and maybe talk to her. She’ll come around.”

     Rey didn’t hear Luke’s answer because she sensed that Lando was going to exit the room and she tried to quickly figure out how to look like she hadn’t just been eavesdropping. She just about managed to lean against the wall next to the door just as it slid open and Lando stepped out. He raised his eyebrow at Rey, who then realised that she looked exactly like she had just been caught from eavesdropping.

     “Rey’s here!” Lando called back to the training hall, and then he turned back to Rey and added, “Talk to your father, please.”

     Rey nodded and went inside. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Lando was right, she needed to talk to Luke. The only problem was, she had no idea where to start. There was so much they needed to talk about.

     Luke rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting Rey’s eyes. “How much did you hear?”

     If Rey had still been on Jakku, she might’ve tried to deny hearing anything, but right now there was no point in doing that. Luke was a Jedi, he most likely already knew the extent of what she had heard. Besides, trying to lie to Luke – to her _father_ , Rey reminded herself, call him your _father_ , you idiot – would’ve just added to the insult. So, the truth it was then.

     “… I heard enough,” Rey answered and developed a sudden interest in the tips of her boots. She bit her lip, trying to figure out how words worked. “Listen, I… this is in no way your fault. I have issues and I’m trying to deal with them. Obviously I’m dealing with them less well than I thought.”

     Luke took Rey’s hand. “You’ve lived with abandonment issues most of your life. I can’t fault you for that, and I won’t. None of that was your fault.”

     “Still, I shouldn’t be taking my insecurities and whatnot out on you,” Rey countered. “I know the pain and sadness you felt for all those years. And at the same time knowing that you’re my father is… overwhelming, in a way. I mean, you’re an actual living legend. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.”

     “Well, so is Lando,” Luke grinned, and Rey snorted a laugh.

     “True,” she stated, “and that adds to the whole thing. One living legend for a father is one thing, but two? Especially after you’ve lived most of your life on your own in the middle of nowhere and been raised by sand, thinking your parents are gone? It’s a huge thing!”

     Luke stroked his beard (Rey wondered why he still hadn’t done anything to it, even though Lando had insisted that it had to go) and said, “Yeah, I can see why you’d feel like that. I felt the same when I first met Obi-Wan and he told me that my father had been a Jedi Knight. I grew up on Tatooine, another planet that’s in the middle of nowhere.”

     Rey nodded in understanding. Tatooine was very much like Jakku, a desert planet controlled by gangsters. Huh, putting it like that, it sounded like a weird twist of fate. If it really was the will of the Force, the Force sure had a cruel sense of humour.

     “I wish things hadn’t gone like this,” said Rey, clutching on the strap of her staff. “And sometimes… sometimes I wish I could just turn back the time.”

     “I know, Sunshine.” Luke hugged Rey. Rey let out a breath, warmth bubbling inside her the way it always did when either of her fathers called her Sunshine. They stayed like that for a while, until someone cleared their throat. Rey turned and saw her grandfather.

     Anakin smiled sheepishly at them. “Sorry to interrupt. It’s just that Rey should start building her lightsabres.”

     Right, of course. Rey put her staff down, picked up the two bright green kyber crystals that had chosen her, and sat on the floor, ready for the instructions. Luke glared at Anakin.

     “You’re on my shit list right now,” he said. “I hope Obi-Wan told you that I’m not happy with either of you.”

     The corner of Anakin’s mouth twitched. “He might’ve mentioned something. But I’ll have you know that we were teaching Rey and Finn!”

     Luke scoffed. “A little heads-up would’ve still been nice. But no, you had to be dramatic.”

     “Son, I’m a Skywalker,” Anakin grinned, and Rey couldn’t help but giggle. “We as a family are over-dramatic.”

     Luke shook his head at his father. “You’re really lucky you’re already dead, I hope you know that.”

     “Anyway,” Rey put in, even though a part of her wanted to see how the banter would’ve ended, “I still don’t know how this works. Can we get on with it?”

     “Yeah, of course,” Luke answered and sat on the floor next to Rey. He shot one last glare at Anakin. “I’ll deal with you later.”

     Rey noted that Anakin looked like he had a sarcastic comment at ready, but wisely chose to shut up. Good, because Rey had to concentrate, and she really didn’t need any more family drama at the moment.

    The first thing she had to do was to visualise the lightsabre in her mind. That came easy enough, and Rey had to smile when she saw her lightsabres in her mind. There had actually been a reason why she had felt like she needed to bring her staff. The heads of her staff were going to be the hilts. Rey opened her eyes and started to detach the heads from the rest of the staff. It was a good thing they were mostly hollow on the inside, maybe exactly for this purpose, Rey just hadn’t known it when she had first built her staff.

     “Okay, what now?” Rey asked.

     “You use the Force to put it together,” Luke instructed. “The crystal should be near the place where the blade comes out.”

     Rey nodded and closed her eyes again, reaching out with both of her hands. She could see the first lightsabre in her mind, but actualising it was a whole other business.

     “Rey, concentrate!”

     “What does it look like I’ve tried to do so far?!” Rey snapped while struggling to keep the lightsabre from falling apart. This was a lot harder task than she had initially imagined. Trying to build the sabre with just the Force... compared to this, fixing Luke’s lightsabre had been child’s play.

     “Do, or do not,” Luke corrected. “There is no try.”

     Rey lost her concentration and the kyber crystal hit her in her forehead. “Ouch!” She rubbed the spot she had hurt while picking the crystal up from her lap and rolled her eyes at her father. “How can I _do_ something if I don’t _try_ it at first?”

     Luke opened his mouth, only to close it again, and Rey realised that he actually didn’t have an answer. “Uh, I don’t know, but Master Yoda said it a few times. Always confused me too.”

     Next to Luke, Anakin started to laugh.

     “Oh, if we’re all really quiet, we can hear Yoda have an aneurysm,” he cackled.

     “ _Anyway_ ,” said Luke, paying no attention on Anakin, “I do think you need someone else to teach you how to use dual sabres. I can teach you to build them but I’m afraid I only learned how to wield one. And I also think I know exactly the right person. Remember when I mentioned that my father’s old Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, helped me build my lightsabre?”

     Rey nodded. “Yeah, of course. Grandfather mentioned her too. I made a sarcastic comment about something and he told me I reminded him of Ahsoka.”

     “It’s true, she sounded exactly like Ahsoka,” Anakin commented.

     “Well, she at least used to wield dual lightsabres,” Luke said, ignoring his father again, and Rey giggled at Anakin’s pout. “So I think she would be a much more efficient teacher than I am. I just don’t know how I could contact her.”

     Rey closed her eyes again, straightened her back, and got back to building her lightsabre. This time the process was easier as she already knew how it worked, and it didn’t take her too long to have one finished lightsabre at hand. Rey smiled as she studied the finished sabre. It felt good in her hand, and even without igniting it she could tell the balance was just right for her.

     “How is it?” she asked Luke and passed the sabre over to him. Luke weighed it in his hand and nodded approvingly.

     “Feels good to me,” he said and gave it back to Rey. “Try turning it on.”

     Rey took a deep breath, hoping the sabre wouldn’t blow up on her face, and ignited it. The blade made a low humming noise, just like it was supposed to, and just as Rey had thought, the balance was perfect. She got up on her feet and gave the sabre a few experimental twirls. Nothing was wrong there either, but to Rey’s surprise it felt more natural in her left hand than her right. Huh, that was new, given that she was right-handed.

     After finishing the first lightsabre the second didn’t give Rey any trouble. Building it felt like routine already, and the result was even better than what she had hoped. Dual sabres were exactly what she had needed. Luke ran an exercise with the blaster balls by her again and this time Rey blocked every single shot with ease. Of course, a real fight was a whole other matter, and she still needed to figure out how to incorporate the double-blade feature, but for now Rey was sure she’d at least survive.

     “Good work, Sunshine,” Luke praised, and Rey turned the sabres off and fastened them in her belt, beaming with pride. “Now we just need to figure out how to contact Ahsoka.”

     Rey pursed her lips in thought. “Maybe we ought to ask Dad? He seems to have all the contacts. Maybe he also knows how we could get in touch with Ahsoka.”

     “I actually wouldn’t be surprised at all,” grinned Luke. “Let’s go find your dad then.”

     “Yeah,” said Rey, and paused for a moment to gather courage she hadn’t even known she needed. “Hey, thank you… Father.”

     Luke wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulders, and Rey could’ve sworn he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “No problem, Sunshine.”

     They found Lando from his and Luke’s quarters, having just finished a call to someone – and when they asked him about it, it truly turned out that he did, in fact, have all the contacts.

     “That was Ahsoka,” Lando told Rey and Luke. “I called her the day we got back here, along with some other of my old contacts, and she just called me back. She said she should be able to get here sometime tomorrow.”

     Rey’s mouth fell open. She really shouldn’t have been so surprised anymore, but she couldn’t help it. She officially had the coolest dad in the entire Galaxy.

     Luke gave Lando a quick kiss. “I honestly don’t know what I’ve done right to have the honour of calling myself your husband, but I’m really happy I have it.”

     Lando smirked. “Flatterer.”

     “It’s not exactly hard to flatter you, you know,” Luke said and winked.

     “Well, keep going,” said Lando. “I like to hear it, even if everything you say is obvious facts.”

     “Uh…” Rey interrupted. Her face felt hot. “Should I leave you two alone or…?”

     Luke blushed too, but Lando seemed unfazed.

     “No, we’ll stop embarrassing you now,” he said. “How did the lightsabres work out? I assume everything went okay because you don’t seem injured, Sunshine.”

     Rey nodded with a wide smile and took the sabres off her belt, igniting them for a short while to show them off. Lando applauded and announced that this called for celebration.

     “Can we have hot chocolate?” Rey asked, feeling a bit like a child asking it, but she really wanted to have it again. Luke’s face lit up as well, and it was actually rather endearing. Lando laughed, shook his head at both of them, and went to the kitchen. Luke followed him, only to be chased away with a very prompt, “No, I can handle this. You go bond with your daughter some more.”

     Luke raised his hands and laughed. “Okay, okay, your wish is my command.”

     “You know,” Rey said with a grin as she sat on her fathers’ bed, “that beard really does make you look like Chewie.”

     Luke made a face and huffed. “Lando, did you show her that holo-video?”

     “I sure did!” Lando called cheerfully from the kitchen. Luke shook his head, rubbing his temple, and Rey giggled.

     “I don’t even know who you inherited that sass from, Sunshine,” said Luke.

     Rey tilted her head and pursed her lips. “Father, I’m Calrissian-Skywalker. That _obviously_ makes me the ultimate sass master.”

     Lando returned from the kitchen with three mugs of hot chocolate, finished with whipped cream, and passed one of them to Luke with an amused grin.

     “She got you there, you know.”

     “Well, I never said she was wrong,” Luke stated.

     Rey took one of the remaining mugs, the one that had an Ewok with a spear painted in its side, and took a sip with a smug smile playing on her lips. Truth be told she probably still had to hone her sass skills a bit, but it was good to know she was already doing well.

     “By the way,” Lando said, “there’s still one very important thing we haven’t figured out yet.”

     Rey raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

     “Are you a cape person or a poncho person?”

     Luke snorted into his mug and wiped whipped cream off his nose on the back of his hand. Rey stared at her dad incredulously.

     “Why is that so important?”

     “I’m a cape person and Luke is a poncho person,” Lando said matter-of-factly, “and we need to figure out who you take more after.”

     Rey rolled her eyes. “Can’t I just wear something that’s somewhere in the middle?”

     That argument made both Lando and Luke go quiet for a good while.

     The next morning Rey faced a new kind of problem after she had taken a bath. She had no idea what to wear. Her blue outfit was nice but maybe it was a tad too fancy for a Jedi. Then again none of her new clothes were “un-fancy”, Lando had made sure of it. Rey sighed and went through her closet once more. Finally she settled on her silk shirt, blue calf-length trousers, and a white cloth that she placed on her shoulders and tied around her waist. It wasn’t exactly the most traditional Jedi look, but then again, Rey didn’t really see herself as the most traditional Jedi anyway, so maybe this suited her.

     Rey tied her hair up on a ponytail just as the door of her bedroom slid open and Luke peeked in.

     “Ahsoka’s ship is almost here,” he said. “Are you ready?”

     Rey took one last look in the mirror and let out a breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she answered. “Let’s go.”

     They met Lando in the hangar. It would be just the three of them receiving Ahsoka, as everyone else had other work to do. Leia had sent her apologies and promised she would catch up with them later the same day.

     The ship, a T-6 shuttle, landed in the hangar and soon after the boarding ramp opened. A cloaked figure walked down and pulled down the hood of her white robe to reveal two blue-and-white montrals and orange skin with white facial markings. It was hard to tell her age, but if Rey had to venture a guess, she would’ve said she was at around Lando’s age, maybe a bit older. Rey had never seen a Togruta before (that she remembered, at least) but she had heard of them on Jakku. Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, smiled upon seeing Lando and walked to him.

     “It’s good to see you, Lando,” said Ahsoka and hugged him tightly.

     “You too, Ahsoka,” Lando answered. “Glad you were able to get here so quickly.”

     Ahsoka pulled back and shrugged. “Of course I did. A Zillo Beast couldn’t have kept me away. I put everything else I had on my agenda on hold when I got your message.”

     “I hope you didn’t have anything really important going on.”

     Ahsoka shook her head. “The way I saw it, nothing is more important than this.”

     Lando moved over so Ahsoka was able to see Rey and Luke.

     “Welcome back, Skyguy,” Ahsoka smiled. (Rey made a mental note to remember Skyguy.) Luke let out a teary laugh and hugged Ahsoka.

     “It’s good to be back,” he said.

     “Don’t worry me like that again,” huffed Ahsoka and let go of Luke. She looked over his shoulder straight at Rey. Her eyes widened and she gasped softly. “Padmé.”

     Rey frowned. “Um, no, I’m Rey.”

     Ahsoka rubbed her forehead and approached Rey. “Right. Of course. I’m so sorry. It’s just… you look so much like her.”

     Rey gave Ahsoka a shy smile. “Grandfather said the same.”

     Ahsoka laughed. “For once he’s right. And I sure need to have some words with him later.” She eyed Rey from head to toe. “You barely reached my mid-thigh the last time I saw you. Can’t believe it’s been fifteen years.”

     Ahsoka pulled Rey into a hug as well, and it brought back a memory. This hug was familiar, only Rey had been a lot younger the last time she had hugged Aunt Ahsoka. But she remembered it and realised she had missed it.

     “Alright then,” said Ahsoka. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Healthy communication and family relationships for the win^^
> 
> Can't wait to write properly about Rey and Ahsoka's dynamics. But that will have to wait because in the next chapter we'll see how Finn and Poe are doing ♥
> 
> Comments are always appreciated ♥


	13. Finn IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn's first mission as a Resistance Captain to save a group of defected stormtroopers ends with the beginning of a new kind of rebellion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the Fourth be with you all! Sorry for taking so long, but I really wanted to publish this chapter today, as it is Star Wars day!
> 
> Also this chapter was something I really didn't want to half-ass, given that I'm dealing with a group of people who have just broken from years and years of systematic brainwashing by a fascist organisation. I hope the result is decent.
> 
> Edit: I edited tags a bit, specially concerning the relationship order (because I do feel the Finn & Rey friendship is the core relationship of this fic and should be mentioned first)
> 
> Hope you enjoy^^

Finn was so deep in his mediation that he didn’t actually notice Poe leaving Jess in the cockpit. He sort of sensed the movement but he also sensed so many other things, such as the general humming that came when a ship travelled through hyperspace, Jess occasionally picking her nose while steering the freighter, and BB-8 rolling around in boredom, all that.

     The freighter lounge was pretty generic. There was enough room for a large crew to hang out in, with three couches, caf tables, a mini bar, a game table, and some holoscreens for watching news. The walls and floor were white and shiny; the ship had to be brand-new. All in all, it lacked the certain warmth the _Millennium Falcon_ had, at least in Finn’s opinion. Maybe if this was his freighter, he could’ve made it look more… more like home. But that was not the case, they only used this ship for the mission, and for the mission it was more than perfect.

     “We’re almost there,” Poe said, placing his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “How do you feel?”

     Finn opened his eyes and sighed. “Nervous. I mean, it’s probably nothing, and Dany sounded sincere but… what if it _is_ a trap?”

     Poe patted Finn’s shoulder with a small smile on his lips. “Then we fight our way out and get the hell out of Corellia as quickly as we can. Thank goodness Rose boosted the thrusters of my chair while you were off to bring Master Skywalker back to civilisation.”

     They sat in silence for a while, and the only noises were the humming of hyperspace and some whistles and beeps BB-8 made every now and then. Finn picked on the sleeve of his new Resistance jacket. He missed the old one, but he had lost it on the First Order dreadnought, and this one just had to do.

     “Um, Finn?”

     Finn glanced at Poe who suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Yeah?”

     Poe coughed. “I’ve been meaning to say this for a while now, but um… what with your new title and all, you don’t have to keep using Finn as your name if you don’t want to. I mean if you do want to, great, but… kriff, I’m so bad at this.”

     Finn chuckled and leaned in to kiss Poe. “It’s okay,” he said. “And I actually do want to keep using Finn. I’ve got used to it by now and it’s a nice name.”

     Poe sighed with clear relief. “Oh good, because I was worried you kept using it for my sake and, well, you’re the person who lives with the name, you should be the one who gets to choose it.”

     “Well,” Finn grinned, “I choose Finn, and I choose it because I like it and because it means a lot to me.”

     “Uh, guys?” Jess called from the cockpit. “I hate to interrupt you but we’re here.”

     Compared to Cloud City, Corellia was… filthy. This was the industrial part of the planet, with different factories dominating the landscape. The smog was so thick that it was a wonder anything was able to live there at all. Cloud City had had some small parks where there had actually been something green. Here… nothing of the sort, just endless pollution. If it weren’t for the defected troopers, Finn probably wouldn’t have voluntarily stepped on the planet at all.

     They landed the freighter in one of the more unremarkable hangars, close to where Karé and Snap had their disguised-as-normal-shuttles X-Wing Fighters. After they had made sure the ship was safe and left BB-8 to guard it, Jess brought Finn and Poe to an old warehouse that was signed for demolition. Finn had a fleeting thought that it was no place for infants to be in, but then again, the defected troopers hadn’t had anywhere else to go. There was probably a planet-wide search for them going on.

     Karé Kun and Snap Wexley opened the door of the warehouse, and Jess greeted Karé with a quick kiss and Snap with a hug.

     “Okay, here we are,” she said to Finn and Poe.

     Finn looked beyond Karé’s shoulder at the group of former troopers. They had all shed their white armours and helmets (especially helmets) and were only in their black fatigues. Their ages ranged from about eighteen to mid-thirties. One of them got up, and Finn recognised her from the transmission.

     “Captain,” Dany greeted Finn with a salute. “Thank you so much for seeing us. We have so much to talk about.”

     “How are the babies?” Finn asked. “We’ll leave as soon as you’re all ready to move.”

     “The infants are alive but they need urgent medical attention,” answered Dany, and looked over her shoulder. “Ace, Nova!”

     Two more troopers got up, the babies in their arms. Finn eyed at the rest of the cadets. Their ages ranged from about five to their early teens, thirteen at most, definitely not old enough to even carry blasters yet. And Finn had no desire to ever see any of them in battle. They all looked so frightened, and some of the younger ones were sniffling.

     Finn looked back at the two troopers in charge of the babies. Both were in their early twenties, probably a couple of years younger than Finn was, and though they clearly tried not to stare they kept stealing admiring looks at him.

     “Yes, sergeant?” asked the first one who had got up, a bald young man with a noticeable burn in his face. Finn didn’t even want to know what had happened there, but he met his eyes and nodded. The man, Ace, Finn assumed, made a small attempt to smile.

     “Captain, this is Ace, and that’s Nova,” Dany introduced the pair, pointing first at the burnt man and then at his partner. “They were in charge of the cadets when we broke them out.”

     “We were really lucky there were only these nine cadets,” said Nova who had a long, flaming red hair, “and none of them were badly injured in the process. By the way, I go by they pronouns, just so we’re clear. And the same applies on Jun, Syd, and Cama.”

     Nova pointed at the three troopers who got up as they were addressed. The baby in Nova’s arms whined and squirmed. They made a face.

     “She’s hungry,” Nova said and tried to shush the baby. The other baby was very still, and the sight made Finn suddenly feel very cold. Those babies weren’t even old enough to have their assigned numbers yet and here they were, near starved and weak.

     Finn turned to Poe, Jess, Karé, and Snap, and said, “We gotta move them now. It’s been a while since I’ve worked with cadets but those babies need medical care now, and the rest of the kids don’t look too good either.”

     Poe nodded. “I agree. Karé, Snap, go get your X-Wings and meet us at Hangar Bay 292. Jess, you stay with me and Finn and help us.”

     Karé and Snap saluted and took off. They had to be as fast as they could. Finn wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d run into First Order troops on their way back to their freighter. It wasn’t a long way but they were a large group, and there most likely was a bounty on all of them.

     Dany, Ace, and Nova glanced at each other when Karé and Snap left.

     “Do you have a plan?” Dany asked.

     “Yes,” answered Finn, “but I’m not going to say it’s gonna be easy or safe.”

     Ace snorted. “We all know that. This group used to be bigger. We lost nine troopers when we busted the cadets out.”

     Finn closed his eyes and nodded. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

     Dany shook her head. “We all knew the risks, and those nine gave their lives to save these children. Our plan always was to get the children someplace safe first.”

     “Then the children are our priority as well,” said Poe, and then he slapped his forehead. “I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Poe Dameron, recently promoted Resistance Vice-admiral.”

     “Yeah, we figured,” Nova grinned with admiration in their eyes. “The First Order really hates you for blowing up the Starkiller Base. Rumour has it General Hux wants to capture you alive just so he can kill you himself.”

     Finn and Poe shared a look. Neither of them was especially surprised, and Poe actually seemed rather proud of himself (Finn wasn’t sure if he should feel proud too or be very afraid for his boyfriend).

     “Let him try,” said Poe. “I’ve fought that loser before. His threats don’t scare me.”

     “How about get out of the hoverchair before you pull anything drastic?” Finn pointed out, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at his boyfriend.

     Poe made a face but nodded. “Fair point. Okay, let’s get all of you out of here. Do you think Finn or I should make a speech or something?” he asked from Dany.

     Dany nodded. “Yeah, that might be for the best, and I think it should be Captain Finn. We all here trust him.” She smiled at Finn. “If it weren’t for your message two days ago, none of us would’ve had the courage to defect.”

      Finn felt a wave of relief wash over him. This had been the biggest thing he had wondered about. He had more questions about how many of this group had thought about defecting and for how long, but those could wait until they got back to the freighter. The troopers had gone quiet and were all staring at him. Right, he was supposed to talk to them.

     Finn cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Um, hello.” Great opening, not awkward at all. But even the children looked up at him, so at least he had everyone’s attention. “Uh, I’m Finn, which you probably already knew. I’m currently a Resistance Captain, and I have the permission from General Organa and General Calrissian to take all of you into safety. I’m afraid I can’t tell you where we’re going, but it’s not a First Order governed planet, so you will be safe. And I promise you that all of you will be treated with respect.”

     “We’ve got a freighter waiting,” Poe added, much to Finn’s relief. Out of the two of them, Poe had more experience in talking to people like this. “We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready to leave. I’m Vice-admiral Poe Dameron, by the way.”

     There was some general clamouring as the adult troopers gathered what little belongings they had (the cadets seemed to have only the clothes on their backs). It didn’t take longer than five standard minutes, tops, until one of the troopers Nova had pointed at, Jun, if Finn remembered correctly, announced that they were ready.

     And now came the hard part. Sneaking eleven defected stormtroopers and nine children into the hangar undetected was going to require a miracle. They’d have to go out in groups. Corellia had a lot of small, shady alleys they could use, and a trooper who introduced herself as Erin said that patrols rarely wanted to check those. That was a clear advantage, and since many of the troopers had been stationed here, they knew which routes were the safest. None of them were “safe”, but Erin and her friends, Yuri and Grey, knew which ones were generally avoided by the patrols.

     “But we have to be careful with the children,” Yuri concluded as she and Erin drew routes on a map Poe had pulled out on his datapad. “This isn’t Tatooine but that doesn’t mean this place isn’t full of criminals.”

     “Hey, I have an idea,” said Jess. “Some of you still have your armours and helmets, don’t you?”

     Most of the troopers eyed Jess with suspicion, but one of the older ones, Asil, he’d introduced himself as, seemed to realise what she was after. As he put his armour back on, Finn too understood the plan. Of course, no one was going to pay any attention on them if some of the troopers pretended to have taken the others as prisoners, and they could stay as one group.

     “I think we might actually be able to pull this off,” Finn said, when also Dany, Yuri, Erin, and Grey put their armours back on, albeit reluctantly. Even if someone from the First Order were to inspect them, there would’ve been nothing strange about five troopers having arrested a group of traitors, especially when there was a planet-wide warrant on them – and Galaxy-wide for Finn, Poe, and Jess.

     They almost pulled it off. Up until they reached the hangar their plan worked like a charm. Ace and Nova had instructed the children to follow them and keep quiet, which they did, and no one on the streets paid any attention on the group. But at the hangar they ran into another group of armed stormtroopers, led by a First Order officer – Lieutenant Mitaka, Finn realised. Mitaka had been one of the younger officers he had served under, very uptight and particular about rules, but also somewhat cowardly.

     Lieutenant Mitaka eyed them down his nose. “Where are you taking this group?”

     Finn put his hand on his concealed blaster, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it. Dany stepped forward.

     “We have direct orders to take these traitors to General Hux and the Supreme Leader,” she announced with a surprisingly steady and official voice. “We received the order from General Hux himself.”

     Finn sensed that inside her armour Dany was shivering, but for him she sounded convincing. Unfortunately the opposite was true for Lieutenant Mitaka.

     “I was not aware of such thing,” said Mitaka. “What are your operating numbers? I will have to report back.”

     Okay, they had to fight their way through then. Finn set his blaster on stun and shot a blast at Mitaka. The lieutenant fell on the ground, unconscious. His group of stormtroopers barely had any time to react when Poe, Dany, and Yuri had shot them all. The rest of the group shielded the children. One stormtrooper fired a shot at Erin, and on instinct Finn reached out with both hands and deflected the bolt back at the stormtrooper.

     Everyone stared at him.

     “How… how did you do that?” Dany managed to ask.

     “I’ll explain later,” Finn answered and hoped everyone believed him.

     “That was really violent,” said Yuri and took her helmet off.

     “We should go, those blasts probably alerted every patrol in the city,” Ace put in pragmatically.

     “What do we do with him?” asked Erin, still shaken from her near-death experience, but pointing at the unconscious Lieutenant Mitaka with her foot.

     Finn rubbed his chin and had a sudden idea. “We take him with us, for interrogating. I know he’ll say he won’t tell us anything, but he might let something slip.” He looked at Poe. “What do you think?”

     Poe shrugged. “This is officially your mission, so it’s your call. There is a good brig on the freighter where we could dump him into.”

     Grey and Asil helped Finn carry Mitaka into the hangar. Karé and Snap had the engine running already when they opened the boarding ramp. Ace and Nova escorted the children inside first, all of them still shaken of what had happened in such a short time. Jess checked the perimeter as the rest of the group was getting in.

     “Guys, we’re gonna have more company!” she shouted.

     “In you go then,” said Poe, gesturing the group to board the ship. He didn’t have to tell anyone twice. Finn, Grey, and Asil carried Mitaka into the brig, and Finn locked the door. By the time he returned to the lounge with his companions everyone was inside, they were in the air, and Ace and Nova were feeding the babies. The rest of the children had been taken to the cabins where they would be able to rest. They were safe now. Finn sighed with relief and sank on the couch. His first mission as an official part of the Resistance had been a success. It hadn’t been a trap, and everyone was safe.

     Jess and Karé were doing an inventory on the defected troopers. No one liked it but they had to do it to make sure there were no concealed transmitters or other communication devices with which anyone could’ve reported back to the First Order. No such things were found which also was a huge relief.

     “Okay, now we can speak freely of our destination,” Poe announced and looked at Finn.

     Finn nodded, took a deep breath, and stood up. “We’re on our way to Artorias. General Organa is gathering anyone with Resistance sympathies there. I don’t expect any of you to join our cause, but if you want to do it, you’re more than welcome. We could always use good fighters.”

     Dany got up as well. “Captain, count me in. But also, how did you stop that blaster shot? I’ve only seen… one other person being able to do that.”

     There was no need to name the person, Finn knew who Dany was talking about. The rest of the group was also staring at him. Finn closed his eyes and reached out through the Force. He sensed that everyone in this lounge was trustworthy. And they deserved the truth.

     “I used the Force,” Finn explained. “I’m training to be a Jedi.”

     Erin flashed him an admiring smile, which Finn returned.

     “I thought the Jedi were a myth,” said Grey. “I mean, we all probably know what the Supreme Leader can do but…”

     “Trust me, I thought so too just about a month ago,” Finn said. “But the crazy thing is… it’s all true. The Force, the Jedi, all of it. It’s all true.”

     Everyone kept staring at him, even Jess and Karé, and Finn was sure Snap would’ve joined them if he hadn’t been in the cockpit at the moment. The only person who didn’t stare was Poe. Finn sat back on the couch and reached out with his hand. The blaster placed on it rose in the air.

     Erin stood up. “I’ll fight with you and Dany. I would’ve done it anyway after you saved my life, Captain.”

     Yuri and Asil followed the suit. “Us, too,” said Asil.

     “And me,” announced Nova, the baby still suckling on the bottle in their arms.

     One by one all of the defected troopers stood up and they all pledged their support to the Resistance. The Force stirred inside Finn, and he felt everyone’s loyalty and faith – on him. He had made this happen. All these people were here because he had inspired them to rebel against the First Order. Finn couldn’t help but smile. He glanced at Poe, who was also beaming with pride.

     “Looks like I have my own squadron then,” Finn said. His squadron saluted him.

     There was still a lot of work to do, and they had to reach Artorias. But for now, Finn eyed his squadron with pride and joy, and he could hardly wait to see what each of them was capable of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next: even more new characters! (not my oc's though)
> 
> And we'll finally get to Artorias!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and loved ♥


	14. Luke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Lando's peaceful morning is tragically interrupted, once again everything is a goddamn ordeal in area family, Leia makes an important decision, and we'll meet some old Rebel friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've no idea why this took so long (well, mostly because I couldn't settle on a pov character), apologies for the delay. But here we are, with the second Luke pov chapter!
> 
> And starting this chapter I will be including characters from Star Wars Rebels (but don't worry, I'll make sure people who haven't watched it can catch up with them easily).
> 
> Enjoy!

Luke woke up to a warm weight on him. Lando was curled up against his side, his head resting on Luke’s chest, and it was the nicest feeling in the Galaxy. They would leave for Artorias today, but not until late afternoon, Bespin’s time. And it was early, they still had time to just stay in the bed and enjoy the sunrise. Just like the first morning they had spent here, after they had fought the remaining Imperials out of Cloud City. Few things were more enjoyable than this.

     Luke drew lazy circles on Lando’s shoulder with his thumb until Lando made a sleepy but satisfied hum.

     “I’ve missed this,” Lando mumbled.

     “Did I wake you?” Luke asked.

     “Kind of, but I don’t mind.” Lando pulled himself up enough to reach to kiss Luke. “You’re the best thing to wake up to.”

     Luke chuckled. “Well, that’s good. I was afraid you were going to say ‘oh crap, you again’.”

     Lando looked very unimpressed. “You’re lucky you’re still too cute for your own good because your jokes are terrible.”

     Luke kissed Lando again, and things were just about to get heated when the door that led to the kitchen that connected their quarters to Rey’s slid open and they were interrupted by a shrill scream.

     Rey’s face was bright red as she stood in the doorway and tried to form words. “I– sorry, sorry, I didn’t realise you guys were… um, yeah, bye!”

     She disappeared back into the kitchen as quickly as she had appeared, and it sounded like she ran into a kettle. So, this was that kind of morning then.

     Lando leaned his face against Luke’s shoulder, trembling from laughter. Luke stared at him, failing to find anything funny about any of this.

     “Unbelievable,” Lando said. “She’s twenty, we’ve been apart for fifteen years, and yet we still managed to traumatise her.”

     “I want you to know that compared to the time I had to see my stupid cousin’s bare chest, I’d gladly put whatever the two of you were doing as my datapad’s screensaver!” Rey shouted from the kitchen.

     That statement sure killed any mood Luke had that morning. It seemed to do the same to Lando because he rolled away mumbling something like “I did not need that mental image”. Oh well, now that they were up anyway, Luke decided to go get some caf. Wow, he really had got old, getting up was surprisingly hard…

     And then they heard a loud “CRAP!” from the kitchen that got movement into both of them. Whatever that had been, it probably wasn’t pretty. They both quickly put their shirts on and Luke opened the door.

     Rey was holding her left hand under the running faucet. She looked up at Luke and Lando and made a face.

     “Out of all my fingers I managed to burn my ring finger in the caf maker,” she grumbled. “And I have no idea how that happened.”

     “Well, it looks like you still managed to make decent caf,” said Lando. “Doesn’t smell out of ordinary.”

     Rey took her hand from the water and let out a relieved sigh. “Thank the Force, because this is my first time making it on my own. Had to ask Rose how to do it.”

     All of the sudden that statement made Luke feel very nostalgic. It had been some time after the Battle of Yavin, a few weeks after his twentieth birthday, when he had asked Han for the same thing. Caf had been a luxury item on Tatooine and thus Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had almost never had it. Han had been a bit baffled about it but hadn’t made any comments for once, he had just shown Luke how the caf maker worked and how to measure the grounds.

     Luke poured caf into his mug. “Was it really that bad?” he asked Rey.

     “What, me seeing Kylo Ren’s bare chest?” Rey scoffed, sprinkling cocoa powder in her mug, mixing it with the caf. “Let’s just say that if I didn’t identify as a lesbian before seeing that, I sure did after.”

     Luke had no idea what to say to that, and for once Lando was at loss of words too. Rey emptied her mug and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

     “Anyway, I gotta run,” she said. “Ahsoka insisted on having a morning session and I really don’t wanna be late on my first day.”

     “Have you eaten anything?” Lando asked, and Luke couldn’t help but smile. Just like all those years ago, Lando was still the one who worried about all these little things, and a good thing he did too.

     Rey nodded. “Yeah, I ate right before I came to wake you guys. By the way, is the caf any good?”

     It was not, but neither Luke nor Lando was going to admit that. Besides, it was Rey’s first attempt at making it, she’d have time to get better. Rey didn’t seem very convinced about their poor attempts at convincing her that it was okay, but she didn’t press the matter.

     Luke finished his caf bravely and put the mug in the sink. “I’ll go get dressed then. Wouldn’t want to disappoint Ahsoka.”

     “Oh no,” Lando said and grabbed Luke’s arm. “You’re not going anywhere looking like...” He made vague gestures with his hand, mostly gesturing at Luke’s face, trying to find words to describe what he wanted to say, but evidently failing. “Well, looking like _that_.”

     “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

     “Your own fault,” Lando stated. “We wouldn’t be here having this conversation if you hadn’t decided to take off to mope at some island in the Galaxy’s middle-of-nowhere.”

     Luke sighed. “So you’re gonna rub that in my face for how long?”

     Lando just smirked. “Just do something about that beard and let me dress you and I will stop. Also, you still owe me some breakfasts in bed.”

     “Fine then, you have free hands.” How bad could it be?

     Two hours and what felt like a million different outfits later Lando was finally happy with Luke’s appearances, and not a minute too late. This was definitely the fanciest Luke had looked in years, although he still wasn’t sure about the cape. Lando, of course, thought it was the height of fashion. Luke wasn’t going to argue because it was a nice cape (white satin) but he really wasn’t sure how capes and lightsabres mixed. Robes were one thing because they rarely got in the way, but a cape? That was something of a safety risk. It wasn’t that Luke didn’t want to look good, he did, it was just that he preferred his clothes practical. The beard was still there, but it had taken forever to style. But it looked good, so Luke wasn’t going to complain.

     Rey and Ahsoka were already in the middle of a training session when Luke finally got to the training hall. Years hadn’t affected Ahsoka almost at all. Maybe she was a tad stiffer now than she had been when Luke had first met her, but that didn’t make her any less lethal in battle. A couple of strokes later she had disarmed Rey.

     “Harder,” Ahsoka said, and Rey pulled her lightsabres back. “You’re stronger than you think! And never turn your back at your enemy!”

     Rey rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck before taking the starting pose again. Ahsoka had already taught her the reverse grip, it seemed. That was good, people rarely expected it, and it was very efficient with dual blades.

     Ahsoka turned around and grinned at Luke.

     “You finally decided to grace us with your company then, Skyguy,” she said. “Nice cape, by the way.”

     Luke just shrugged. “Can’t help it, I’m married to the most stylish man in the Galaxy.”

     Rey turned her lightsabres off and laughed. Luke rolled his eyes at her.

     “Okay, you laugh now,” he said. “You’re the next one getting a make-over.”

     Rey scoffed. “I know that. Dad and I talked about it yesterday because we all know we’re gonna meet actual royalty and can’t just look sloppy. I told him to pick out an outfit for me, and we settled on light blue being my colour.”

     Huh, that wasn’t what Luke had expected. Sure, ever since getting home Rey hadn’t worn anything sloppy, but that she had become this fashion-forward? Definitely unexpected. Although she had spent a whole month with Lando, so maybe it was no wonder that something had rubbed off on her. Plus she had more or less worn the same clothes her entire life, so she probably was having the time of her life trying on new clothes.

     Rey stretched again and got back to her kata without another word. She really was more efficient with dual blades. Her balance was better already.

     “How is she doing?” Luke asked Ahsoka.

     Ahsoka crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “She’s a quick learner. Lacks some finesse but makes up to it by working very hard. Her basics are good, so I think I’ll start teaching her some special tricks once we get on Artorias.”

     Luke glanced at Rey working on her kata and then back at Ahsoka. Ahsoka’s eyes hadn’t left Rey for a moment and she looked like she was pondering on something.

     “What’s wrong?”

     Ahsoka shook her head and finally turned her gaze to Luke. “Oh, nothing’s _wrong_. It’s just… I can see so much of Anakin in Rey, in her movements and the way she wields the Force, even though Anakin only ever used one lightsabre.”

     An uneasy feeling settled in Luke’s stomach. “Is that… good or bad?” he asked tentatively. “Because when I was told there was a lot of my father in me, it was all the negative aspects, at least according to Yoda.”

     Ahsoka scoffed and waved her hand in a dismissing manner. “Oh, what did Yoda know? Yes, there is the same aggression Anakin had, in both you and Rey, but you have to remember that before he fell Anakin was also extremely brave, loyal, smart, and kind. Those were the things I sensed in you when I first met you and you told me who you were.” Ahsoka looked back at Rey. “And those are the things I sense in Rey as well, along with all the good things that came from you, and Lando, and Padmé. It wasn’t just because of her appearance that I thought she actually was Padmé for a moment, you know.”

     Luke let out a relieved sigh. The last thing he wanted was to lose Rey to the Dark Side like he had lost Ben. Nothing he had seen so far had indicated anything like that, though, but this was his daughter. There wasn’t going to be a day when Luke didn’t worry for her, however unnecessary it was. Keeping Rey completely safe at this point was wishful thinking; the decisive battle was going to be at hand very soon, Luke could feel it. But if he’d just be able to keep Rey safe from the Dark Side, that was something too. Luke had failed to keep her safe once, this was the least he could do for her.

     The door of the training hall slid open. Leia stepped inside and greeted Ahsoka with a respectful nod. Ahsoka responded in kind. Rey paused her kata but for now kept her lightsabres turned on. There was some sort of tension between Leia and Ahsoka, but Luke couldn’t tell what it was or why. He knew that they had had a long chat yesterday, but hadn’t asked either for details.

     “Alright then,” said Leia. “I’m here. What is it you wanted to discuss with Luke present?”

     Ahsoka gave Leia a stern look.

     “It’s time,” she said, “for you to finish your training.”

     Oh. So that was the reason for the odd tension. It explained everything. After the Battle of Endor, before Ben had been born, Luke had trained Leia with the basics but she had never shown much interest in becoming a Jedi, even though she had a natural knack for it. For whatever reason, Leia had always seemed somehow scared of that side of her.

     “No,” Leia said. “No, I… I’m not a Jedi.”

     “Ahsoka’s right,” said Luke, the realisation dawning on him all of the sudden, placing his hand on Leia’s shoulder. “We need you, Leia, and besides, you know the basics already.”

     Leia looked down and bit her lip. “I… I know I won’t be able to fight him. Regardless of what he has done, what he has taken from me. I can’t fight my… my own son.”

     Rey turned her lightsabres off, put them in her belt, and crossed her arms.

     “You won’t have to, Aunt Leia,” she said grimly. “It has to be me. I see that now. This is not just about the future of the Galaxy and the balance, this is also about the future of the Skywalker family. Ultimately it’s me who has to fight him. _That’s_ what Grandpa Garbage Can was talking about.”

     Luke snorted a laugh. Grandpa Garbage Can? Oh, Anakin was going to hate that so much. Leia and Ahsoka laughed too, and Rey seemed happy for having taken some of the tension off.

     “Oh, I really wish I had thought of that the one time I fought Anakin after he…” Ahsoka made some vague gestures. “… after he fell. Wonder if that might’ve made him snap out of it. He never liked it when I called him Skyguy.”

     “Eh, what does he know?” Luke shrugged. “I think it’s a brilliant nickname.”

     “One of the reasons I like you better than your father,” Ahsoka smirked.

     Leia and Rey shared an unimpressed look.

     “If you two are trying to rile up his Force ghost to make him appear, I’m leaving,” said Leia. “I don’t want anything to do with him, not now, not ever.”

     Leia turned to leave. Luke followed her to the corridor because he finally, finally understood why she had always been so reluctant to train as a Jedi. And it was so obvious. But it did explain a great deal. Luke grabbed Leia’s hand.

     “Leia, wait.”

     Leia shook her head. “Whatever it is, Luke, I don’t want to hear it right now.”

     “I just wanted to say that I finally understand.”

     Leia froze for a moment, staring at Luke. She sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes, and Luke knew she sensed what he was talking about. “It’s true. The reason I never wanted to train was… was because I felt like if I did, I’d also accept the fact that Darth Vader was my biological father. And it’s the reason I’ve never wanted to see him either.”

     Luke nodded. “I understand that, and I’m sorry I didn’t realise it sooner.”

     Leia made a dismissing sound. “It’s not as if I ever wanted to talk about it.”

     “Even so,” Luke said. “Because I struggled to accept it too. I think it would’ve driven me insane if I hadn’t had Han’s rescue to think about at the same time.” He sighed. “But Ahsoka is right. We need you. I don’t know how many Knights of Ren there are at the moment, but the more Jedi there are to fight them the better.”

     Leia crossed her arms and bit her lip. She looked back up at Luke and asked, “Are you absolutely sure you need me?”

     Luke nodded. “Yes. And you know I wouldn’t ask this of you otherwise.”

     Leia sighed again. “Alright then. I’ll do it. But I will need a lightsabre.”

     Well, that wasn’t going to give them too much grief. Leia had already started to build one once, but with her job and pregnancy she had never finished the job. Still, she knew how it was done, and they had kyber crystals to choose from. So, until they absolutely had to go to the _Falcon_ and leave for Artorias, Luke and Leia spent their time building the lightsabre and brushing up Leia’s connection to the Force. It wasn’t until Lando called Leia’s comlink that they finished meditating. Rey had left the training hall to get dressed and have her hair done, and Ahsoka had gone to pick up her essentials from her shuttle, which she had decided to leave in Cloud City.

     “It’s not really a battle ship,” she had explained. “Sure, I’ll defend my life in it, but attacking? Nah, I’d rather have an X-Wing or something for that.”

     The vast majority of the Resistance had already left. The only ones still present were actually just Luke’s family, which he already counted Rose into, and obviously Ahsoka, Chewie, and the droids were part of it too. Lando had made all the arrangements to keep Cloud City running in his absence, so they were good to go.

     “Alright then, everyone get in and make yourselves comfortable,” Rey said, looking dazzling in her new clothes. She even had a cloak that was somewhere in between a cape and a poncho (and it was her own design too), and everything was in different shades of light blue. Her hair was up on a sort of a combined bun and ponytail.

     “You okay?” Luke asked her as she turned to look back at Cloud City with a deep sigh.

     “It’s just…” Rey made a face. “I only just got back home. I never thought I’d have to leave again so soon.”

     It was almost as if Lando had sensed this, because he walked down the boarding ramp and hugged Rey. “We’ll come back,” he said. “I know I can’t really promise it but… I promise we’ll come back home eventually.”

     Rey sniffed, but nodded. “Okay. It’s a deal,” she said, and took a deep breath. “Let’s go then. Let’s get this damn thing over with so we’ll be back sooner.”

     “That’s the spirit, Sunshine,” Lando grinned, kissed Rey’s forehead, and returned to the _Falcon_. Luke and Rey smiled at each other and walked in too, with Rey closing the boarding ramp behind them. They were about to part their ways as Rey was going to go to the cockpit and Luke was going to join Lando, Leia, and Ahsoka in the lounge, when Rey suddenly frowned at a door.

     “What’s this room?” she asked. “I haven’t noticed it before.”

     “Huh,” said Luke and opened the door to some kind of closet. “Beats me, I’ve never paid any attention to it either.”

     The answer presented itself sooner than either of them thought.

     “Why are you two standing in my old cape closet?” Lando asked from the lounge’s doorway.

     Luke and Rey stared at each other for a moment.

     “Wait, why are we so surprised about that?” Rey asked.

     “I know,” Luke answered with a shrug. “I mean, of course this used to be your dad’s cape closet. I’ve seen a lot of crazy things in my time, this might as well happen.”

     Rey giggled and went to the cockpit with Chewie and Rose.

     Once they were in hyperspace, Ahsoka and Leia started to train. Although Ahsoka’s methods were completely different from Obi-Wan’s, Luke still remembered vividly what he must have looked like all those years ago in that exact same spot, trying to learn the basics of wielding a lightsabre. Leia was already doing much better.

     The trip to the rendezvous point outside Artorias was mostly uneventful. Finn and Poe sent a transmission from their freighter, with news that they wouldn’t make it there that day because they had run out of fuel and had to make a stop in Onderon, but that their mission on Corellia had been a success. That was definitely good news, especially hearing that the defected troopers were interested in joining their cause. The trooper, who had sent the original distress transmission, Dany, introduced herself again and thanked Leia and Lando for agreeing to send Finn and Poe to rescue the group.

     Finally, several hours later, Rey announced that they had passed Naboo and were approaching Artorias. Some minutes later she pulled them out of hyperspace in front of a beautiful, green planet. Luke had been on many planets, but this was definitely one of the most memorable ones. Artorias was protected by a planet-wide deflector shield with some Shield Gates scattered here and there. Rey and Chewie started to approach the closest one when the _Falcon’s_ alarm went off.

     “There are two ships incoming from hyperspace,” said Rey as everyone on board gathered into the cockpit, and true, a second later a ship, roughly the size of the _Falcon_ but where the _Falcon_ was round this one was more hexagonical, emerged from hyperspace in front of them, followed by another slightly smaller shuttle.

     Leia gasped. “It’s– it’s the _Ghost_ and the _Ice Moon_!” She turned to look at Lando. “You called the Ghost crew?”

     “Yep, right after I’d called Ahsoka,” Lando answered with a proud smile, and even though Luke had thought he wouldn’t have been surprised by anything Lando pulled anymore, he was clearly wrong. None of the rest of them had even thought about calling the Ghost crew, a former Rebel Alliance cell that had originally resided on the planet of Lothal.

     The Falcon’s comlink buzzed and Rey pressed some buttons to let the transmission come through.

     “ _Hello!_ ” greeted a cheerful male voice. “ _This is Jacen Syndulla from the_ Ghost _!_ ”

     Lando leaned over Rey’s shoulder and answered, “Hi, Jacen! This is Lando Calrissian. You doing okay? How’s your mother?”

     “ _We’re all doing fine_ ,” said Jacen. “ _Mum doesn’t fly a lot anymore though, because of her eyesight. Anyway, General, you got the clearance codes?_ ”

     “Yep, I’m sending them over right now.” Lando put the chip in the transmitter.

     “ _Got them!_ ” Jacen said a few seconds later. “ _I’m sending them over to the_ Ice Moon _as well._ _See you all on Artorias!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll actually get to meet the Ghost crew in the next chapter, which will be Rey's pov again. I'm doing it like this so that people who haven't watched Star Wars Rebels will get to know them from the pov of a character who also doesn't know them (because Luke for sure would've met these guys).
> 
> Rey burning her left ring finger on the caf maker is something that actually happened to me once. I still have no idea how it happened.
> 
> Also, when I started this fic, I hadn't watched Rebels, so including them wasn't my original plan, but I fell in love with those nerds. I also didn't plan on Leia becoming a Jedi as well but hey, this is already a wish-fulfillment fic, that might as well happen too.
> 
> Lando's cape closet is Solo movie canon and honestly my absolute favourite detail xD like of course he'd have one!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated ♥


	15. Rey V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet some old rebels, Rey has a lot of questions, and makes a startling discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a bit longer because I wanted to give Artorias and the royal family a proper introduction. I loved creating them.
> 
> Artorias is based mostly on Wakanda, but the people are based on the Yoruba people. There's a reason for that, which I will tell in the ending A/N.
> 
> Queen Miriadel is a trans woman, by the way, and I will figure out a way to bring that up later.
> 
> Also I hope I've introduced the Rebels characters in a way that people who haven't watched it can also enjoy them^^
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

“So who exactly are these people?” Rey asked as she and Chewie started to make their approach to the closest Shield Gate, quickly glancing at Rose for an answer. The adults had gone back to the lounge, aside from Ahsoka.

     Rose stared at her. “You’ve never heard of the Ghost crew? They’re some of the biggest Rebel Alliance heroes! They liberated Lothal!”

     “I used to work with them,” Ahsoka added. “Especially Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger. Kanan was actually a survivor of the Jedi purge, the same as I was, and Ezra was his Padawan.”

     Rey, Rose, and Chewie turned to look at Ahsoka in surprise. Ahsoka shrugged. “I suppose that information is still somewhat classified.”

     “ _Yeah, because this is the first time I’ve heard of this_ ,” said Chewie. “ _And I’ve worked with these people before too._ ”

     Rey sent the clearance code to the Shield Gate guards, and as the gate opened and she steered the Falcon through it, she asked, “So, what happened? To Kanan and Ezra, I mean.”

     Ahsoka sighed. “Kanan sacrificed himself to save the others. And Ezra… we still don’t know what happened to him. He went missing during the final battle of Lothal. Sabine Wren and I went looking for him after the war but to this day there has been no sign of him.”

     Rey and Ahsoka shared a look. Well, that was that then. Rey had had a brief moment of hope for more Jedi reinforcements but… oh well. There were five of them now that Aunt Leia was going to train as well. Maybe that was going to be enough. At least they’d give the Knights of Ren a proper fight, even if it wasn’t in the end.

     The Artorian border patrol escorted the three ships to a huge hangar bay in what appeared to be the capital. The city was located on several islands in the middle of a lake in between two forested mountain ranges. Having seen Takodana all the green wasn’t a surprise for Rey anymore, but the harmony between the jungle and the modern city was. Many of the buildings were built to accommodate the trees, and there was a lot of wildlife roaming free. The passing speeders and ships flew by the side of the flying creatures and neither bothered the other. It was beautiful.

     The landing platform assigned for the _Falcon_ , the _Ghost_ , and the _Ice Moon_ was already bustling with people, most of them either in the orange pilot fatigues or Resistance uniforms, but there were some native Artorians in what Rey assumed to have been traditional clothing (brightly coloured robes) as well. The sight reminded her of D’Qar, and for some reason it felt like coming home, even though she hadn’t been there for long. But Artorias was a lot hotter and more humid than D’Qar had been, at least according to the _Falcon’s_ calculations, so Rey willingly left her cloak in the cockpit.

     After the _Falcon_ had landed and the party had got out, they were instantly greeted by two older pilots. Rose stifled a squeal and enthusiastically whispered to Rey, “Those are Evaan Verlaine and Wedge Antilles. They both participated in destroying the first Death Star, and Captain Antilles helped destroy the second Death Star as well!”

     Wow, well, that explained why the man hugged Luke and Lando with such excitement. Rey also noticed an odd tension between Leia and Evaan’s embrace, something she quite couldn’t name, but the two women exchanged some cordial words, so Rey didn’t fret on it. Whatever it was, it was between them, and it was none of her business.

     Some more familiar faces started to appear. Paige and Kaydel fought their way through the crowd, and Paige greeted her sister with a tight hug. Rey watched them wistfully until Paige and Kaydel had to leave again to attend to their duties. It must have been wonderful to have a sister.

     And then the famous Ghost crew appeared from their ships, and they were a band like no other Rey had ever seen. They consisted of both humans and aliens (was that tall purple creature a Lasat? Rey had thought they were all but extinct, having only heard about them in campfire stories on Jakku), and the young man approaching them who had to be Jacen Syndulla must have been mixed-species. Rey wouldn’t have paid any special attention on his green hair, but he had pointed ears, two lekkus too short for him to be fully Twi’lek, and though his skin was otherwise fair, it was splotched with green here and there. Mixed-species people were rare because few species were compatible like that.

     Jacen had an easy smile and he greeted Leia and Lando with brisk hand-shakes, Luke with a polite nod, and Ahsoka and Chewie with hugs.

     “I gotta admit, I was surprised when we got the call on Lothal,” he told them. “The First Order destroyed the communications tower a while back so we’ve been in a total blackout for several months.”

     “Well, I’m glad the comlinks on the _Ghost_ worked,” Lando answered. “And I’m also glad you all showed up.”

     “Of course we did,” Jacen said. “Can’t have you fight on your own and get all the glory, especially in that pile of junk.” He nodded towards the _Falcon_.

     “Hey!” Rey snapped. “I’m her captain, only I get to call her garbage.”

     Jacen stared at Rey in surprise.

     “Jacen, this is Rey, my and Luke’s daughter,” Lando introduced her. “She’s been piloting the _Falcon_ since…”

     The words “since Han’s death” were left hanging in the air, but Jacen seemed to understand. He smiled at Rey and shook her hand as well.

     “Jacen Syndulla, the current captain of the _Ghost_ ,” he said. Rey returned the smile and introduced Rose to him. Rose looked like she was about to burst from excitement.

     Then Jacen proceeded to introduce Rey and Rose to the rest of the Ghost crew.

     “This is my mum, General Hera Syndulla,” he said, beaming with pride. Hera was an older Twi’lek, with green skin and bright green eyes, in the traditional orange pilot’s fatigues, and she eyed Rey and Rose curiously. Jacen took a lot after her, Rey noted, aside from his eyes.

     “Captain Rose Tico,” Rose introduced herself and shook Hera’s hand, barely containing her excitement.

     “I’m Rey Calrissian-Skywalker, the current captain of the _Millennium Falcon_ ,” Rey said.

     Hera raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh, really? I see Lando did one right thing with his life then.”

     “Hey, Hera, that’s not fair!” Lando complained. “I also married Luke! That’s two things I’ve done right with my life!”

     Rey and Hera both laughed while Luke patted Lando’s shoulder supportively.

     Jacen continued. “That’s Chopper,” he pointed at an orange astromech droid who looked a bit like a mix of Artoo (who actually greeted Chopper with a series of very rude whistles that made Threepio chastise him) and BB-8, “Aunt Sabine,” a tan woman with bright orange-and-green hair in a colourful Mandalorian armour waved, “Aunt Ketsu,” a black woman next to Sabine who was also in a Mandalorian armour, but one that was mostly black with dashes of red, winked, “Uncle Zeb,” the purple Lasat made a two-finger salute, “Uncle Alex…”

     “Who’s Alex?” Luke interrupted, and Lando shrugged. Leia and Ahsoka hid their faces in their hands.

     The remaining member of the crew, an old man leaning on his cane next to Zeb, groaned. “That’s me! Alexsandr Kallus, you both know me!”

     Lando frowned in mock surprise. “I thought your first name was Agent.”

     “That joke stopped being funny before the Battle of Scarif,” Kallus grumbled, rubbing his brow. “Even the First Order officers make better jokes than that.”

     Jacen snorted a laugh and turned back to Rey and Rose. “Uncle Alex hates the First Order more than anyone I know, by the way.”

     “I did not defect and rethink my entire kriffing life only to see those nerf-herders repeat every single mistake I’ve ever made!”

     Zeb patted Kallus’s shoulder. “Kal used to be an Imperial Agent,” he explained. “Which is why we can predict some of the moves the First Order makes. They don’t work that differently from the Empire, and Kal knows everything about them.”

     Kallus nodded, and then rolled his eyes. “They are so predictable at times that I almost want to cry. At least I used to be able to give this lot a run for their money, you know, before I defected.”

     “Well,” Ahsoka said with a smile, “we’re all very grateful that you did defect, your intel saved the Rebellion many times.”

     Ahsoka and Kallus proceeded to greet each other first by bumping their fists together and then giving each other a high-five. When everyone (except Zeb and Sabine, it seemed) stared at them, Ahsoka proceeded to explain, “We’re the only two Fulcrum agents left. This used to be our secret handshake.”

     Rey had no idea what that meant and made a mental note to ask either Rose or Ahsoka later. Everyone included in the old Rebel Alliance seemed to understand, though, so most likely it had something to do with the Old Rebellion. She really had to read on that history, it was her family history too, after all.

     “Where’s Poe, by the way?” Jacen asked, eyeing the _Falcon’s_ crew, looking like he was trying to find Poe hiding behind someone’s back. “I thought he’d be with you.”

     “On a secret mission to Corellia,” Leia answered. “Or rather, they were coming back but they ran out of fuel and had to stop on Onderon. They will get here tomorrow.”

     Did Rey just imagine the whole thing or was that a flash of disappointment in Jacen’s eyes? That was one more question in her ever-growing list, but she figured she could ask later, maybe when Poe finally got there. Hopefully it was soon.

     “General Organa?”

     A tall Artorian man in bright yellow robes approached them. He had a very official look, but not in a harsh way. There was something kind about his face, but for a moment Rey wasn’t sure what exactly it was. Until it finally hit her.

     For some reason this man reminded her of Finn.

     “Yes?” said Leia with a cordial smile. The man returned it.

     “My name is Abeo and I’m Queen Miriadel’s closest assistant,” he introduced himself. “The Queen has requested that I escort you and your party to meet her.”

     “Thank you, Abeo,” Leia answered and then turned to look at the Ghost crew, mainly at Hera. “Will you be coming too? I think Miriadel would like to meet you all.”

     The people of the Ghost crew shrugged and nodded, and Hera said, “Well, why not? It’s a very rare honour.” She turned to look at Sabine and Ketsu. “You two will need to shower first.”

     Sabine and Ketsu groaned dramatically but returned to the _Ghost_ , holding hands. Everyone on the _Falcon_ had washed before leaving so they were good to go. While they waited, Rey and Jacen struck a conversation over their respective ships and their features, and it quickly escalated into a competition.

     “No, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong,” Rey insisted. “ _Falcon_ is _clearly_ the superior ship here. She made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs and was the ship that blew up the second Death Star. Try to top that.”

     “ _Ghost_ fought in literally every single significant battle against the Empire,” Jacen countered. “And she’s easily the fastest ship in the Galaxy.”

     “Umm, no, that’s _Falcon_ ,” said Rey, crossing her arms, and next to her Ahsoka was clearly giggling. “She makes it .4 past lightspeed nowadays. Try topping that.”

     “Alright.” Jacen glanced at both of their ships. “If we both survive this war, we’ll race them. Sound good?”

     “Get ready to have your ass kicked,” Rey answered and shook Jacen’s hand to seal the deal. They agreed to settle on the details of the race later if they both survived.

     A few minutes later Sabine and Ketsu returned, and what paint stains they had had in their faces and hair were gone. Abeo nodded and led them out of the hangar bay to a commuter shuttle. The view to the city (Olú Ìlú, Abeo called it) was even more breath-taking up close like this. The buildings were mostly made of steel but there was an airy sense to them, and wherever Rey looked, she could see trees. They passed several marketplaces and some canals until they reached the middle island and what appeared to be the royal palace. The palace consisted of several separated buildings which Abeo pointed out to them.

     “In the middle is the official area where the Queen meets visitors,” he said. “To the right are the living quarters of the royal family and the temple, and to the left we have baths and guest quarters. You will all be accommodated there.”

     Wait what? They were going to stay in the palace? Rey felt like her heart skipped a beat and she turned to Lando.

     “Dad, do I look presentable enough?” she asked. “No one told me we’d be living here and I think I’m panicking.”

     Lando brushed a stray strand of hair off Rey’s face with a smile. “You look more than presentable, trust me. You look gorgeous, so no worries. You’ll fit in just fine.”

     “He’s right,” said Rose. “And I’m glad I changed my fatigues because I just remembered my old ones have a huge grease stain in them. I dodged a blaster bolt there.”

     Rey laughed and hugged Rose. Wow, never before she had worried about anything like this. On Jakku even basic survival had been uncertain, and now she worried about how she looked? In a very odd way it was relieving. Since arriving to Cloud City Rey hadn’t felt hunger or thirst, and life on Jakku felt like a distant dream now – and Rey didn’t miss any part of it.

     The palace had no gates and the shuttle parked on a huge landing platform. Abeo led everyone out and escorted them to the throne room. The palace walls were covered in colourful murals that probably featured animals but Rey wasn’t completely sure, the patterns were quite abstract. Near her Sabine gasped loudly and chattered something about the use of colour and the traditional art to Ketsu.

     The throne room itself was a surprise. There was no actual floor, just ground growing grass, or even an actual throne the way Rey had imagined it. There was a stand on one side of the room where there were simple chairs, but that was it. It was surprisingly ascetic but there was an odd beauty to it. On the stand there were five people waiting, and it was obvious that this was the royal family of Artorias.

     The Queen of Artorias was a tall woman who carried herself with nobility in her white robes and silvery head-dress. Her long hair was silver as well and woven into several braids. The woman next to her was every bit her wife, though she was the Queen’s polar opposite with her bald head, dark blue armour, and spear. Her smile softened the hard impression.

     Leia walked down the aisle to the stand and greeted the two women by placing her left fist over her right breast.

     “Queen Miriadel, Lady Ayana, thank you for receiving us.”

     The Queen smiled, repeated the gesture, and then leaned in to hug Leia.

     “The pleasure is ours, Princess Leia,” she said with her deep voice. “We are most glad to see you in good health.”

     Lady Ayana repeated her wife’s actions before looking up at the rest of Leia’s group. “May I present our children?” she gestured at the three young people standing behind her and the Queen. “Crown Princess Halinor, Princess Tressa, and Prince Nabu.”

     “Aunt Leia!” exclaimed Princess Tressa, who had bright teal hair as opposed to the black hair of her siblings and was wearing matching fatigues instead of robes, and Leia pulled her into a hug as well. Prince Nabu joined his sister. The Crown Princess, clearly more aloof than her younger siblings, kept her distance, but she was smiling. She was like a younger version of her mother in her braided black hair. Her robes were orange and she also had orange face paint. Something about all of them felt very familiar to Rey, but especially the Crown Princess. The Force was trying to tell her something, but it was vague and Rey couldn’t catch it.

     Leia let go of Princess Tressa and Prince Nabu, and nodded at the Crown Princess. “It’s good to see all of you again, it has been too long. May I present my group?”

     “That’s our cue,” Lando whispered to Rey and Rose.

     “My brother, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and his husband, General Lando Calrissian,” Leia began the introductions.

     Luke and Lando stepped forwards, and Prince Nabu let out an excited squeal, eyes never leaving Lando. Queen Miriadel smiled at the pair.

     “Welcome to Artorias, Master Skywalker and General Calrissian,” she said. “I hope you find your stay enjoyable.”

     Leia continued. “Their daughter, Jedi Padawan Rey Calrissian-Skywalker.” Rey bowed. “Jedi Master Ahsoka Tano.” Ahsoka greeted the royal family with the same gesture Leia had, but she looked visibly uncomfortable for being called “Master”. She had explained Rey that she had been banished from the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars and was still a little bit iffy about calling herself a Jedi.

     “This is Captain Rose Tico.” Leia gestured at Rose who mimicked Rey’s bow. “And this is the crew of the _Ghost_. General Hera Syndulla and her son, Captain Jacen Syndulla.”

     “Pleasure to meet you,” said Hera, earning wide smiles from the entire royal family but especially Princess Tressa and Prince Nabu.

     Gradually Leia presented the whole group.

     “Welcome to all of you as well,” said the Queen. “I hope you all will join us for refreshments in the dining room.”

     Lady Ayana eyed the group. “Is this all?”

     “No,” Leia answered. “We have one section missing. Vice-admiral Poe Dameron and Captain Finn Solo went on a secret mission on Corellia. They’re on their way here and will join us tomorrow with pilots Temmin Wexley, Jessika Pava, and Karé Kun.”

     “Very well,” Queen Miriadel said. “We’ll meet them once they arrive then. I hope we’ll also hear about this mission.”

     The royal family took the entire group to the dining room. This was more what Rey had expected from a royal palace. There were several long tables, but there were also pillows instead of chairs, and the walls were covered with tapestries that repeated the abstract patterns of the murals. Both ends were open and there was a gentle breeze blowing through the room.

     Rey was seated next to Crown Princess Halinor, with Rose on her other side. Now that the atmosphere was less official, Halinor seemed to relax, especially since she asked both Rey and Rose to call her just by her first name, and she seemed very interested in the Jedi, asking Rey many questions she wasn’t actually able to answer.

     “I only found out about my family a bit over a month ago,” she told Halinor. “It’s a long story but… I was taken away from my fathers when I was only five, and for the bigger part of my life I'd fend for myself on Jakku alone.”

     Halinor nodded sympathetically. “I can only imagine the pain your fathers must have felt. I lost my twin brother when we were only two months old. I’ve only heard the story from my grandfather since Iya and Mum don’t like to talk about it, but some remnants of the Empire attacked this palace twenty-three years ago. I still don’t know if my brother perished in the fire or if he somehow survived.”

     “That’s terrible,” said Rose, and Rey nodded in agreement. She knew the feeling of not knowing better than anyone.

     Halinor closed her eyes for a moment and leaned back on her pillow. “As I said, I don’t remember it, but I do have to admit that I feel like there is a part of me missing. The weird thing is that I also feel like that part still exists somewhere in the Galaxy.”

     Rey leaned her elbow on the table and took a sip of her fruit juice. “I’m not saying I’m an expert, but are you Force sensitive in some way? Because if you are, there is a chance that that feeling is a faint Force bond.”

     Halinor seemed to consider this for a moment, and then she nodded. “This is not actually wide-spread information, but the royal line has traditionally been a little bit Force sensitive. Not enough to become Jedi but enough to form Force bonds and for example being able to foresee things.”

     Rey glanced at Rose who shrugged. Right, Rose didn’t know any more than she did, Rey had forgotten that. It was just that Rose knew so much about other things, especially mechanics and the history of the Rebellion, that Rey forgot she wasn’t a walking encyclopaedia.

     “Actually,” Halinor continued once again after a moment of consideration, “my grandfather told me once that my twin brother showed Jedi level Force sensitivity. He had worked with the Jedi in the Clone Wars so he knew a bit about those things. He also believed that it was why the attack happened, that it was only a ruse they used to kidnap my brother.”

     Whether it was Halinor’s statement or the fact that Rey was finally able to figure out why she and the whole royal family looked so familiar, or a combination of the both, Rey had a sudden Force vision. This one was not one she was familiar with. There was a fire, and an Imperial officer (Rey was only able to tell this because the uniform was close to the ones she had seen the First Order officers wear), and a baby crying in the officer’s arms. Rey took one look at the baby’s face and instantly knew.

     The baby, the lost prince, was Finn.

     “Rey?” someone called for her name. Rey startled and looked at Rose who had patted her shoulder.

     “You spaced out,” Rose said. “Another vision?”

     “Yeah,” Rey answered, turning to Halinor. “I think I know your twin brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rubs hands together* plot thickens~
> 
> And the reason I based the Artorian people on the Yoruba people is because John Boyega is of Yoruba descent. For once I actually have a plan (instead of just winging it)
> 
> Next chapter is, rightfully, Finn pov.
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always ♥


	16. Finn V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn meets his boyfriend's ex and dad and has a long overdue family reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. This is probably my favourite chapter along with chapters three and eight. I'm so proud of how this turned out, and I hope you'll forgive me for another sobfest.
> 
> I did an insane amount of research for this chapter, from Yoruba words to genetics tests. But Finn deserves only the best so it was worth it.
> 
> Songs I recommend listening to while reading  
> [T'Challa Suite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6txUB4JPw8)  
> [King of Pride Rock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5uYB9T_GlY)
> 
> Dedicated to John Boyega.
> 
> Hope you enjoy ♥

Finn yawned and rubbed his eyes when the ship finally landed on Artorias. That detour to Onderon had had everyone on their toes. There wasn’t much First Order presence, but you never knew who might’ve sympathised them, even with Onderon’s history of hating anyone who oppressed them. Besides, more or less everyone in Finn’s new squadron needed both medical attention and food, and the sooner they got both of those the better. And the children were their own story altogether. They all had been very brave throughout the space trip, even if some of them had got space sick in hyperspace.

     “Alright, we’re here,” Finn told his squadron. “I’m probably gonna have to leave you for a while. You all should visit the medbay, and I need to report back to General Organa. But I’ll come see you all as soon as I can.”

     Dany, who was quickly becoming Finn’s right-hand woman, nodded with a smile. “I’ll see that everyone gets the treatment they need.”

     Finn escorted the group outside to the hangar bay where Jess and Karé promised that they could take it up from there. Ace and Nova joined Jess, and the three of them took the children to a speeder that was bound to the medical ward. Karé escorted the rest of the group. Snap said that he was going to take care of the X-Wings, which left Finn, Poe, and BB-8 standing (or, in Poe’s case, sitting) in the hangar without anything specific to do.

     Poe glanced at Finn. “Do you wanna go get something to eat before we report back to Leia and Lando?”

     Finn nodded. He was starving. Ration bars didn’t keep anyone fed for long. “Yes, please.”

     They made their way to the mess hall of the hangar bay. Everyone was concentrated on eating so no one paid any attention on the three of them, which Finn was somewhat grateful for. They’d eat, report back to Leia and Lando, and then head to bed. That sounded perfect. Sleeping in a real bed after two nights in an uncomfortable bunk was a dream come true.

     Finn went to grab two bowls of stew and passed the other to Poe. They had just sat down when someone called for Poe’s name.

     “Poe! About time!”

     Poe looked up and laughed. “Jacen! I don’t believe it! How are you?”

     The man Poe had called Jacen hugged him and said, “I’m doing okay, and so is everyone else. When did you get here?”

     “Just about ten minutes ago,” Poe answered. “Oh, before I forget. Jacen, this is Finn, my boyfriend.” He gestured at Finn, who stood up and reached out to shake Jacen’s hand. “Finn, this is Jacen Syndulla, an old friend of mine.”

     Jacen snorted, rolling his eyes. “Old friend, huh? That what you call your ex nowadays?”

     Finn glanced at Poe with a small grin. “Should I be worried?”

     Poe shook his head, laughing. “No, we broke up years ago and in good terms.”

     Jacen nodded in agreement. “It was a long-distance relationship, too taxing on both of us, so we ended it before either of us got hurt. So, you’re Finn? The Resistance hero? Wow, it’s an honour.”

     “Um,” Finn said, still not quite used to the idea of being called a Resistance hero, even if that was what more or less everyone involved in the Resistance called him. “Yeah, that’s me. Don’t know about the hero part though, I’ve just tried to do the right thing.”

     Jacen gave Poe a look that was somewhere in between excitement and amazement. “Handsome and modest! Poe, this guy’s a keeper, and I swear I’ll never forgive you if you break his heart.”

     “Why am I the one getting the shovel-talk all of the sudden?” Poe asked, shaking his head again. “But no, that wasn’t my plan. A whole other thing, have you seen my dad here anywhere?”

     Jacen nodded. “Yeah, wasn’t even that long ago, he should be…”

     And that was when Jacen was cut off with a very loud, “POE!” The man in question paled significantly and tried to hide behind his stew bowl.

     “There he is,” Jacen grinned. “Anyway, I’m gotta go, my mum’s having a briefing. I’ll see you later.”

     Finn glanced at Poe who was glaring after Jacen and asked, “What’s the matter? Your dad seemed alright over the transmission.”

     “Oh I’m not worried that he’s angry,” Poe answered. “But he’s gonna get really fussy over my injuries, he always does.”

     “Why’s that a problem? He’s your dad, he worries about you.”

     Poe made a face. “I know, I just wish he didn’t fuss so much. I’m not a child anymore.”

     Finn opened his mouth to say something he forgot a second later because that was when Kes Dameron made his way to them. Finn felt like he was looking at a twenty-to-thirty-something years older version of Poe, except Poe had clearly inherited his curly hair from his late mother. Kes was wearing a Resistance uniform with insignia that indicated he was a commander the intel faction.

     “You’re really aiming to drive me into an early grave, aren’t you?” Kes huffed at his son. “Even your mama never pulled stunts like what you have.”

     Poe rolled his eyes. “And you know Mama would’ve been proud.”

     At that Kes shook his head with a laugh and pinched Poe’s nose. “Yeah, you’re right. Glad you’re okay. How are your legs?”

     “Getting better,” Poe answered. “I think I ought to be rid of this hoverchair by the end of the week. Gonna have a check-up soon.”

     “Good.” Kes sighed. “I hate to say this but we’re lacking pilots. Well, we’re lacking pretty much everything right now. I know General Organa thinks we can rebuild the Resistance but quite honestly we don’t have a lot of resources, ships or people left.”

     Finn made a mental note to ask his new squadron if any of them had had any pilot training. Even the basics were better than no training at all. Also he ought to name his squadron, every legendary squadron had a name that stood out.

     “Dad,” said Poe, taking Finn’s hand and interrupting Finn’s musings, “this is Finn, my boyfriend.”

     “Commander Dameron, sir,” Finn said, and intended to go for a handshake. Kes, however, shook his head, and hugged Finn instead.

     “None of that,” he stated and pulled back. “Kes will do. You don’t have to get official with me. You saved my son’s life. I’ve read the reports. You didn’t have to risk your life for him like that, and you did so anyway. You have my eternal gratitude.”

     Finn felt his cheeks go hot. Why did people insist on praising him for simply wanting to do the right thing? It honestly was not that big a deal. Anyone in the Resistance would’ve done the same thing… probably. But then again no Resistance member had been present. If he hadn’t saved Poe, no one else would have.

     “I do have one question,” Poe said to his father. “What pictures did BB-8 send you?”

     Kes frowned. “Huh? BB-8 didn’t show you two?”

     “Nope,” Finn answered. “Just promptly refused, and even I understood it and I don’t speak binary at all.”

     BB-8 made a series of offended beeps, and Finn rolled his eyes. Yeah, sure, the droid was offended, that sounded about right.

     Kes snorted a laugh. “Don’t worry, they were just pictures of you two holding hands in the medbay in Cloud City. Nothing more serious than that, I promise.”

     Poe turned to look at BB-8 and shook his head at him. BB-8 whistled, probably attempting to sound innocent but failing handsomely. It made all of them laugh.

     Finn was returning the dishes when he ran into the one person he had longed to see the entire time they had been on the mission. Rey. Finn put the dishes on the conveyor and hugged her. Rey pressed her head against his shoulder and let out a clear sigh of relief. Sure, Finn had sent a transmission where he had confirmed that everything had gone well, but even so, it was touching to know just how much Rey worried for him.

     “How are you? Did everything go well?” Rey asked when they parted, looking at Finn from head to toe as though looking for visible injuries. “Wait, obviously everything did, you’re alive.”

     Finn chuckled. “Yeah, we’re all in one piece, even if the children are really exhausted, and I also now have my very own squadron. The troopers we rescued all want to join Resistance.”

     Rey’s face seemed to light up. “That’s amazing!”

     Finn shrugged with a smile. “Yeah, there’s still a lot of work to do, but, well, it’s better than what I ever imagined. I think there’s now more hope than ever before.”

     Rey nodded in agreement. Then her face became serious again; she bit her lip like she was considering something, and then said, “Finn, there’s… something you need to know, and someone you should meet. Is it okay if we leave?”

     Huh, that sounded ominous. Still, Finn nodded and said, “Yeah, of course. I’ll just tell Poe so he doesn’t wonder.”

     Finn and Poe agreed to meet again in the briefing room of the royal palace. Poe said that he’d go see Dr Kalonia now that Finn had his own thing to attend to. With any luck he’d be rid of the hoverchair the next time they’d see each other in a few hours, maybe. Finn gave his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek and then followed Rey outside.

     The climate in Artorias was hot and humid, nothing Finn had ever got used to. He took off his jacket and tied it around his waist while following Rey to a commuter shuttle. A young black woman in orange robes and long braided hair was clearly waiting for them. As soon as Finn took a better look at her he couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere. But that was impossible, he had never seen her before.

     “Finn, this is Crown Princess Halinor,” Rey introduced the young woman. Yeah, Finn definitely did not know her – the only royalty he knew was Leia. “Halinor, this is Finn.”

     The Crown Princess had an odd look in her eyes when she placed her left fist on her right breast and nodded to Finn. “Rey has told me all about you. Come. We have so much to talk about.”

     Finn glanced at Rey with a frown. Rey took a deep breath and asked, “Halinor, do you want to explain or should I?”

     The Crown Princess shook her head now as they stepped inside the commuter shuttle. “I will do it. Besides, I need you to steer this shuttle.”

     Rey patted Finn’s shoulder with a small smile. “Don’t worry, everything’s alright. I’ll let Halinor fill you in on the details.” And then she sat by the control panel and the shuttle took off towards the royal palace.

     Finn and the Crown Princess sat down, and she looked down into her crossed hands. She clearly had trouble finding where to begin, so Finn decided to help her out.

     “So… you said Rey had spoken about me, Your Highness?” he asked, hoping he was addressing her correctly. Rey might’ve been on first-name basis already but Finn didn’t do that until he knew he had the permission for it.

     Crown Princess Halinor nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Um…” She sighed and bit her lip. “Upon our meeting we ended up talking about our families, and I told her that I lost my twin brother when we were only two months old.”

     Well, that sure was an odd thing to tell a stranger, Finn thought. “I’m so sorry,” was what he said aloud.

     “The thing is,” Crown Princess Halinor continued, “that my family has traditionally been somewhat Force sensitive. Not enough to become Jedi, but enough to have some perks. But my twin brother allegedly showed Jedi-level Force sensitivity even as a baby. When we were two months old, the palace was attacked by Imperial leftovers who, as I have understood, later on founded the First Order, and in that attack my twin brother went missing.”

     Finn nodded politely, not knowing what else to do. The Crown Princess wasn’t finished. She took another deep breath before going on.

     “Ever since I was a young child, I have felt that there has been a part of me missing, and after talking to Rey we came to the conclusion that it has to be a Force bond. It’s not strong, but it is there. And then Rey had a Force vision.”

     “Yeah, she has a lot of those,” Finn said.

     “She saw my brother being taken away in that vision, and said she recognised him,” said the Crown Princess, and now it dawned to Finn why she had wanted to talk to him. “She is certain that you’re him. So, now we are going to see if it is true.”

     For a moment Finn had no idea what to say. When he finally figured out how to form words again he asked, “How do we do that, Your Highness?”

     “Halinor will do,” answered the Crown Princess. “My sister Tressa has created a very accurate test for this. We will go see her in her lab. She is the only one who knows about this, besides us. Just so… you see, my mothers were very distraught with what happened, and if we happen to be wrong…”

     “You don’t want to give them false hope,” Finn supplied.

     Crown Princess Halinor nodded. “Exactly. But… I don’t know how to say this… when I saw you, I had this feeling that… that it is true. That you are my brother. But I want to be absolutely sure.”

     The rest of the trip to the palace went on in silence. Finn had a hard time digesting all of this. Everything about it sounded too good to be true. Sure, ever since he had defected from the First Order, especially after Rey had met Lando, he had wondered about where he had come from and if his family still existed, but this? That he was a prince? That this planet was where he came from? It really was too good to be true.

     Still, Finn couldn’t shake off the feeling that he knew Crown Princess Halinor, and the idea of a weak Force bond wasn’t that far-fetched. Weirder things had happened in his life, and a blood test surely couldn’t hurt.

     On their way to the laboratory the trio met only a few guardspeople who greeted Crown Princess Halinor with the same gesture she had greeted Finn with, so he figured it had to be a local way to greet people. Finn shook his head at himself. Sure, that was definitely what he ought to have been thinking, local customs. Finally they made it to the laboratory where they were greeted by a girl about Rey’s age who had her bright teal hair on four buns. She was without doubt Princess Tressa. She wore turquoise fatigues that matched her hair, complemented with a silvery necklace, and she eyed Finn curiously.

     “Is that him?” she asked her sister. Crown Princess Halinor nodded. “Come on in then, let’s get this over with.”

     The stark contrast to her sister’s gentle poise took Finn by surprise, but he decided that he liked Princess Tressa already. Something about that straightforward, even blunt attitude was refreshing, and it reminded him of Rey.

     “Um, do you mind if I stay?” Rey asked.

     Princess Tressa shook her head. “As long as you don’t disturb me when I make the analysis, you’re good to stay, and I don’t think you will. Besides, these two look like they could use some moral support.”

     The laboratory was full of devices Finn didn’t know at all, and everything seemed high-tech and very clean. Princess Tressa sat him and her sister on two chairs and crossed her arms as she started to explain how the test worked.

     “I need a saliva sample from both of you,” she said. “I’ll analyse those on my computer and we’ll have the definite result in a few minutes. Simple and clean. So, give me the samples.”

     She passed Finn and Crown Princess Halinor sticks with cotton tips. Halinor swiped the inside of her cheek and then gave the stick back to her sister. Finn mimicked the procedure, and then Princess Tressa placed the sticks on the analysis pad and ran the program. Crown Princess Halinor stood up, biting her nail. Rey took the chair after the Crown Princess had nodded that she wasn’t going to sit back down.

     “Rey,” Finn said, “whatever the result is, I just want you to know… you’re the first family, real family, I’ve ever had. You’re like a sister to me, and I love you.”

     Rey looked like she was about to cry, but managed to smile at the last moment. “I could say the same. You’re the closest thing I have to a brother and I’ll always be there for you, no matter what. It’s gonna be okay, I love you too.”

     Finn hugged Rey, trying to ignore the weird feeling in his belly, and next to them Crown Princess Halinor started to pace. How long did it take to have the result? Even with Rey there, Finn felt like he was going to be sick. Honestly, he, a prince? Even the idea was, well, not preposterous, but definitely absurd. Every lonely child must’ve at some point wished they were lost royalty, that didn’t mean they were that.

     A while that felt like an eternity later, Princess Tressa peeked from her computer screen. “I have the result now.”

     Finn and Rey looked up from their chairs, and Crown Princess Halinor froze.

     “Well?” Halinor asked.

     Finn squeezed Rey’s hand.

     Tressa took a deep breath, eyes never leaving Finn. She looked like she was holding back tears. “It’s positive.”

     For a moment no one said anything, and Finn was sure he had misheard. No, it was too good to be true, _it was too good to be true_ …

     “Are you sure?” Halinor asked her sister. “Are you absolutely sure?”

     Tressa made a face. “My tests are easily the most accurate in the Galaxy. Come see for yourself if you need more proof. I’m telling you, it’s positive.”

     Finn followed Halinor – his twin sister, _his actual twin sister_ – and peered at the monitor over her shoulder. There was no mistaking it. The words “100% match” were written across it in huge block letters.

     Finn felt like his entire brain blanked for a moment. He was dreaming, he had to be dreaming. And then Halinor turned around and embraced him, softly sobbing against his shoulder, and that was all he needed to know that this was very real.

     “Arakunrin,” Halinor managed to say despite her crying. Finn had never heard the word before but somehow he knew that it meant “brother”. And the next thing he knew he was holding his twin sister, gently caressing her braids, tears pouring down his cheeks as well. Tressa joined them a moment later, laughing and crying at the same time.

     Finn held both of his sisters for a good while until they absolutely had to part.

     “So, what now?” he asked, still overwhelmed about everything.

     Halinor let out a tearful laugh. “I think we ought to go tell Iya and Mum. And Nabu. He’s going to get very excited to hear you’re a Jedi Padawan too.”

     “It’s true,” Rey grinned. “When he asked me if I really was a Jedi Padawan and the daughter of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and General Lando Calrissian and I said yes I thought he might’ve fainted from excitement.”

     “Yeah, our baby brother is ridiculously into the Rebel Alliance and the Jedi,” laughed Tressa while copying the file that said “100% match” to her datapad. “It’d be kind of sweet, really, if Hal and I didn’t have to save him from whatever new trouble he’s got himself into while flying around in his commuter shuttle, pretending he’s Lando Calrissian destroying the second Death Star.”

     Two sisters and a brother. Finn had two sisters and a brother. And two mothers. It was so overwhelming that he had to sit back down to clear his head. It was too much to take in at once. He started to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth, until he had calmed down enough to look back at Halinor and say, “Alright then. I suppose it’s time for a very long overdue family reunion.”

     “I’m taking the result with me,” said Tressa. “In case they want proof. Iya and Mum will most likely take Hal’s word for it, but it never hurts to make double sure.”

     Rey got up from her chair and said, “I gotta go to Aunt Leia’s briefing, but I’ll cover for you, Finn. Take all the time you need. You deserve it.”

     Finn hugged Rey again. “Thank you,” he murmured into her ear.

     Rey leaned her head against Finn’s shoulder. “When you helped me reunite my family, I swore to myself that I’d do anything I could to return the favour. Like I said, you deserve this. You deserve all the happiness the Galaxy can give you.”

     Rey went her way after she and Finn finished the hug. Finn turned to look at his sisters who smiled at him and took him from the laboratory on an elevator to the royal family’s living quarters. Finally at the door of the Queen’s office they stopped, and Halinor looked at Finn.

     “Are you ready?” she asked.

     “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose,” Finn answered, clenching his fists.

     Tressa patted his shoulder with what she obviously thought was a charming smile. “Don’t worry, Hal will do the talking, and I’ll be right behind you and back you up if needed.”

     Halinor shook her head at her sister a bit with a fond smile, and then opened the door. The rest of the family seemed to be there, what Finn saw at the first glance.

     Queen Miriadel sat at her desk and raised her eyebrow at her daughter. “Halinor, what is it?”

     “Iya, I am sorry to interrupt,” Halinor said. “But… there is something you should know.”

     Halinor moved, and for the first time to his memory Finn saw the faces of his mothers. Queen Miriadel had a kind look to her and she looked at him curiously. Next to her Lady Ayana covered her mouth, eyes wide. Prince Nabu – his _little brother_ – scratched the back of his ear, seemingly confused about all this.

     “Iya, Mum, Nabu– this is Finn,” Halinor said, gesturing at Finn. “He is–”

     “My son.” Lady Ayana stood up and approached Finn. Ever so gently she touched his cheek, tears in her eyes, and for a moment Finn thought he wasn’t able to breathe. This was his mum.

     “Olufẹ mi,” said Miriadel, “are you sure? It has been twenty-three years.”

     Ayana turned to look back at her wife. “Darling, you may be the Force sensitive one out of the two of us, but I carried him inside me for nine months. I know my son when I see him.”

     Tressa raised her hand. “I have the genetics test result here on my pad if you wanna see it. It’s a 100 percent match with Halinor. There’s absolutely no question of it.”

     Ayana shook her head. “I don’t need it,” she said simply and pressed her forehead against Finn’s. “You found us. After all these years…” And then she broke down in tears, hugging Finn. Miriadel stood up too and approached them, her eyes never leaving Finn’s face.

     “I see it now,” she said, and her voice sounded strained, probably from holding back tears. “And I can sense it too.”

     Miriadel wrapped her arms around both Finn and Ayana, holding them as close to her body as was physically possible. Finn had no idea how to describe the feeling. The closest he was able to come up with was everything finally falling together. The Resistance had been his family for the past few months, and they would always be his family – but this was where he had come from. His mothers, his sisters, his brother… they were all here.

     “Mum, Iya…” Finn whispered for the first time in forever. “I’m home.”

     “Are you a Jedi too? Rey said you are,” Nabu piped up, and Halinor pinched his shoulder. “Ow! What?”

     “Give them a moment, doofus,” Halinor hissed.

     “You don’t have to pinch me, Hal!”

     Miriadel rolled her eyes and walked over to separate her eldest daughter and youngest son. “Calm down, both of you. You’re overwhelming your brother.”

     “I’ve been overwhelmed since I first met Halinor, if I’m quite honest,” Finn said with a small grin. Ayana still hadn’t let go of him, as if she feared he might’ve disappeared if she did. But Finn didn’t mind. A good portion of his life he had wondered what it might’ve been like to be held by his mother and now… and now there he was, in his mum’s arms.

     Miriadel turned back to look at Finn with a smile. “You must have so many questions… Finn. That is what you call yourself?”

     Finn nodded. “Yeah, I… I was a stormtrooper, and my boyfriend Poe came up with Finn from my assigned number when I rescued him. I’ve been using it ever since.”

     Ayana let him go a bit to look at him with a curious smile. “You have a boyfriend?”

     Out of all the things his mum could’ve picked up to point out, Finn though with amusement. “Um, yeah. Poe Dameron, he’s the vice-admiral. We met when I rescued him from a First Order dreadnaught I was assigned on.”

     Miriadel frowned. “I’ve heard stories of what they do to the stormtroopers. How… how did you break free from the conditioning?”

     Finn shook his head. “I’ve been asking that myself too. I really don’t know. When Rey and I started our Jedi training, we met the Force ghosts of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.” At this point Nabu let out an excited squeal and Finn had to smile at it. His brother was truly adorable. “Master Kenobi thinks that the Force inside me awoke and broke the conditioning – and I also remember that I did question the First Order even before that. So it probably was a combination of those that made me break free and defect.”

     “Oh, my boy,” Miriadel said and pressed a kiss on Finn’s forehead. “I hate that all of this has had to happen to you, but I am also so proud of you.”

     “As am I,” said Ayana, repeating her wife’s actions. “Welcome home… Finn.”

     For a moment Finn wondered if the question he had in his mind might’ve been too painful for his mothers, but he also burned with the need to know. “If it’s okay that I ask this, what did you name me when I was born?”

     “Zanden,” Ayana answered. “We named you Zanden. After Miriadel’s father.”

     Finn drank it in. That was his real name then. And yet it didn’t feel like his name. He had gone by Finn for so long now… But would it hurt his mothers if he said he wanted to keep using Finn?

     Miriadel seemed to sense his train of thought because she said, “But it’s up to you whether you want to start using it again. We won’t mind, will we, Ayana?”

     Ayana shook her head. “No. Whatever you choose, my son. We will honour and respect it.”

     Finn nodded. “Okay. I think I’m gonna keep using Finn, at least for now. It’s just that I’ve grown used to it.”

     “Leia told us you use Solo as your last name,” Miriadel smiled.

     “Whaaaaaat?” exclaimed Nabu. “You get to use Han Solo’s last name? That is so cool!”

     Finn decided to ignore his younger brother for now. “Um, yeah. We found this holo recording Han Solo had left for me, Rey, and Chewbacca, where he said that if I needed a last name to use in the Resistance, I could use Solo.”

     “Our family name is Oduduwa,” Miriadel said. “But it’s only in the use within this family. The people don’t use it. So since I understand you’re a Resistance captain, you can keep using Solo for the rest of this war.”

     Finn nodded again. “I understand.” He looked at both of his mothers in turn and then at his sisters and finally Nabu. “Can someone pinch me? I have this feeling that I’m dreaming and I don’t wanna wake up if I am.”

     Halinor grinned and pinched Finn’s arm. It hurt a little, so this definitely was not a dream. Ayana finally let go of him and looked at her wife.

     “We must go,” she said to Finn with a gentle tone. “We must add you back to the family records. And then we must plan how we will introduce you to the people again.”

     “Halinor, Tressa, Nabu, if you could show Finn around our home?” Miriadel asked, and the siblings nodded in unison. And that was when the last sliver of anxiety left Finn and only excitement was left.

     Nabu burst into a series of questions as soon as their mothers had left the office.

     “So, are you really a Jedi?” he asked.

     “Well, I’m a Padawan still,” Finn answered. “But I will be a Jedi one day.”

     “Do you have your own lightsabre?” Nabu continued, bouncing on his feet.

     “Uh, no, not yet,” Finn admitted, scratching the back of his ear. “I haven’t found the right kyber crystal yet.”

     Halinor frowned, like she was considering something. “I know where you could get one. Come.”

     She led her siblings to the Temple, inside a vast underground chamber hewn into the bedrock. Light filtered through the roof into the middle, where there was a lonely pillar with something that glimmered in purple. Finn gasped.

     “That’s…”

     “It has been in the family for centuries,” Halinor told him. “Legend has it it’s been waiting for the right person to wield it in a lightsabre. You aren’t the first Force sensitive member of this family, Finn, but you are the first who has been sensitive enough to become a Jedi.”

     Finn approached the stand with his siblings in tow. The purple crystal rest on top of the pillar, unassuming for others, but for Finn it had the most dazzling sparkle and he finally knew what Rey had meant with her own crystals. This was it, this was his kyber crystal.

     “So…” he said, voice cracking a little from emotion. “Can I just… take it?”

     “It’s yours, brother,” Halinor smiled. “It has always been yours.”

     Finn reached out and detached the crystal from the pillar. Warmth and joy filled him as the crystal glimmered in his hand. Now he truly was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used Google Translate for the Yoruba because it was the only thing I had at hand so if by a chance a native Yoruba speaker reads this and sees any mistakes, please correct me.
> 
> iya = mother  
> arakunrin = brother  
> olufẹ mi = my dearest
> 
> And I told you I had a plan for Finn's kyber crystal! I've had that plan for ages and I'm so happy I finally got to tell that story!
> 
> Next chapter is Poe pov and it's gonna be a humour-filled one^^
> 
> Comments are super appreciated ♥


	17. Poe II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe is back on his feet, Rey admits to losing a bet, a Freudian slip results in a new mother, and interrogation results in very unpleasant news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm still alive with this fic xD Poe just turned out to be the hardest character to write, once again.
> 
> Anyway, no sobfest this time^^ but you are gonna get me paraphrasing Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in addition to my own jokes.
> 
> Enjoy!

Poe stared at Dr Kalonia, absolutely certain that he had heard her wrong. Did she just say that he was ready to give up the hoverchair? Poe had to ask her to repeat. Dr Kalonia chuckled and confirmed that Poe had, indeed, heard her right.

     “But I advise you not to jump into the closest X-wing just yet,” she said. “Take the first couple of days easy, get used to walking again.”

     Poe saluted. “You have my word, doctor.”

     “Good,” said Dr Kalonia with a warm smile. “Right then, let’s get you out of that chair then so you can go to the briefing.”

     Getting back on his feet took Poe a good while, even with the help of both his father and Dr Kalonia. But it felt good to be able to finally stand up. Sure, he’d have to use crutches for a few days, but that didn’t matter. He was walking again, and it felt so good. When they walked to the briefing room Poe told Kes that he had a lot of newfound appreciation for walking.

     “You really don’t realise how great it is to be able to walk until you can’t do it.”

     Kes laughed. “You sound just like your mama when she had a flying accident before you were born and had to be in a hoverchair even longer than you.”

     “I bet that was trying for both of you.”

     “Yeah, it was,” Kes said, “but it meant we had more time to spend with each other so in many ways we got a lot closer to each other.”

     The briefing room was chaotic when Poe and Kes finally got there. The generals weren’t there yet so everyone was chattering away and the noise was deafening.

     Poe had missed it so much. Sure, there were significantly less people than on D’Qar, but from what he was able to make of it all, they had a good amount of pilots left, as well as the key members of the medical and maintenance staff. There were some new faces as well, mostly Artorian, but apparently the Yavin 4 faction had been able to recruit new people before the First Order attack to the D’Qar base.

     Kes left to check on his people from the intel faction, and Poe looked for a place to sit down. He barely managed to sit down at an empty desk he found near where Leia and Lando were probably going to sit when he was already crowded by Rey and Rose. The couple hugged him and laughed with joy. Oh, it was so good to see them both.

     “You’re up and about!” Rose said.

     “I sure am,” Poe grinned. “I mean, I have to use crutches for the next few days and I can’t jump in an X-wing just yet, but this sure beats the kriffing hoverchair.”

     “Yeah, I can imagine,” said Rey, “especially after as long as you used it.”

     “Where’s my boyfriend, by the way?” Poe asked, seeing as Finn wasn’t there, and that sure was odd. Rey wouldn’t have just left him somewhere, thick as thieves as they were, so maybe he was seeing his squadron at the medbay. At least that was the only explanation for his absence that Poe could make up.

     Rey ran her hand through her hair. “Uh… I think it’s best Finn explains once he gets here, but I had to introduce him to some people. It’s a good thing though.”

     Poe snorted a laugh. “Are we getting another surprise family revealing?”

     “Well…” the corner of Rey’s mouth twitched and she crossed her arms with a shrug. Poe stared at her and slammed his hand on his mouth.

     “No way. I was only joking!”

     “Wait, are you serious?” Rose asked, her eyebrows nearly lost in her bangs.

     “That’s more or less the gist of it,” Rey answered. “But no one else knows and I’d really rather the news come from Finn and his family than me, so can we keep this between the three of us for now?”

     “Yeah, of course,” Poe said, leaning back on his chair. “Wow, who would’ve thought? I mean, it’s great of course!”

     Rey nodded with a wide smile. “Yeah, it is.”

     Then someone behind Poe cleared their throat and Poe turned around. Snap, Dany, Erin, and Nova were standing there, with Snap and Nova holding Lieutenant Mitaka from his shoulders. Poe raised an eye at the three former troopers.

     “Shouldn’t you three be at the medbay?” he asked.

     “We were,” Dany answered, “but we were cleared. Our injuries weren’t as bad as the others’, and then we thought you might want to interrogate this one here.”

     “Well,” Poe shrugged, “I’m not doing anything else, so sit him down. Oh, by the way, Dany, Erin, Nova, these are Rey Calrissian-Skywalker and Rose Tico. Rey, Rose, meet Dany, Erin, and Nova.”

     Snap and Nova sat Lieutenant Mitaka down in a chair on the other side of the desk as greetings were exchanged with some general amazement at Rey’s last name (Rey’s face was bright red – apparently she still hadn’t got used to people fawning over the fact that her fathers were living legends). The only person who wasn’t impressed was Lieutenant Mitaka. He was handcuffed and if looks could’ve killed, Poe was sure he would’ve been dead for a while now. But they couldn’t and Poe started the interrogation. He hadn’t done that a lot, but at least he wasn’t going to torture Mitaka like the First Order had tortured him.

     “I’m not going to give you anything, Resistance scum,” said Mitaka.

     Poe rolled his eyes. “And here I thought you were going to blabber all of their deepest darkest secrets, right down to what sort of underwear General Hugs prefers.” He glanced at Rey and Rose. “Can you believe he’s not gonna give us anything?”

     “I’m just as shocked as you are,” Rey said drily, and Rose tried to hide a giggle in her hand, not quite succeeding (though Poe was sure she wasn’t really even trying).

     Poe leaned in, crossing his fingers beneath his chin. “Alright, Mitaka. I know you don’t wanna be here, and I’m not a big fan of this situation either, so can we make this easier for both of us? I ask simple questions and you answer truthfully. How’s that sound?”

     Mitaka kept glaring at him. “I could do that… but I won’t. You and the rest of this hive of scum will be dead at the hands of the Supreme Leader soon enough.”

     For two seconds no one said anything, and then Poe, Rey, and Rose all threw their heads back and laughed. Rose doubled over, holding her stomach, and Rey had to lean against the desk. That was the most hilarious thing they had heard in a good while.

     “You… you can’t be serious,” Rey wheezed. “I’ve bested that asshole in combat twice now.”

     Mitaka looked at her down his nose. “And am I really supposed to believe that _you_ are the daughter of Skywalker and General Calrissian?”

     Rey stopped laughing and straightened her back. “Damn right I am, and my dads are the coolest ever.”

     Poe was going to agree, but Rose nudged her girlfriend first. “Um, Rey? Luke just tripped on the hems of his own robes.”

     Rey hid her face in her palm and groaned. “Just for _once_ could he _not_ –”

     Poe glanced over his shoulder and grinned. Rey and Lando may not have been genetically related but their facepalms were completely identical. Though if Poe could read lips at all, Lando wasn’t so much exasperated with his husband as he was, “Stop being so cute, you’re gonna kill me one day.” Better not say anything to Rey about that though.

     Rey huffed and passed over some credits to Poe. “Here. Ten credits. Remember when you said my dads would embarrass me? Well, you were right.”

     Poe raised an eyebrow at Rey. “That doesn’t count, it was just one of them.”

     “Oh no, that just reminded me of the whole thing,” Rey said. “I walked in on them before we left here. They were… doing stuff.”

      Right. Yeah. Well, that was just about the ultimate embarrassment. Poe nodded, accepted the credits, and patted Rey’s shoulder before turning back to Lieutenant Mitaka. Anything they could get out of that guy counted as a small win, no matter how small or insignificant it might’ve been. It just showed that First Order officers weren’t that hard to crack.

     Half an hour later Poe was ready to do the Starkiller Base run all over again. At least there he had actually achieved something. Besides, he was certain that when Lieutenant Mitaka said he had no idea where Kylo Ren and his goons were located he was lying. But he had no proof and they were talking in circles. No doubt Rey could’ve done this a lot faster but Poe would’ve rather died than asked her to use the Force mind probe on anyone. They both knew what it was like.

     “Listen, I’m not gonna stop until you cut the crap,” Poe said. “I’ll sit here to the end of the universe if I have to, and so will you.”

     Mitaka scoffed. “I admit I underestimated your tenaciousness, but I already told you no one told me where Supreme Leader relocated the highest ranking officers and himself.”

     Poe rolled his eyes again. “So you just expect me to believe you actually slept through the meeting where this was decided?”

     Mitaka shrugged. “Well, now that you say it like that, it does sound a bit unbelievable.”

     “Oh, General, is it okay I give you the mission report tomorrow?” Poe asked from Leia who walked past, eyes on her datapad. What Poe was able to see, it was a list of all of their recruits.

     Leia looked up at Poe and nodded. “Yes, that’s alright. Good to have you back, Vice-admiral.”

     “Great. Thanks, Mum.”

     A heavy silence fell over the room. Poe looked up from his notes. Everyone, even Lieutenant Mitaka, had their eyes on him.

     Poe blinked. “Why is everyone staring at me?”

     “You just called General Organa ‘Mum’,” said Snap. “You said, ‘Thanks, Mum.’”

     Poe grimaced. “No, I didn’t. I said, ‘Thanks, boss’!”

     Leia crossed her arms, obviously trying to keep her tone official and not to smile. “Do you see me as a mother figure, Dameron?”

     “ _No!_ ” Poe tried to brush the whole thing off. “If anything I see you as a bother figure, ‘cause you’re always bothering me!”

     Kes got up from his desk. “Hey! Show your mother some respect!”

     “I didn’t call her mum!”

     Now Leia was smiling. “That’s alright, Poe, I take it as a compliment.”

     “And for the record, I’ve accidentally called General Calrissian ‘Dad’,” Rose said. “It’s no big deal.”

     Poe gestured at Rose. “Guys, jump on that! Rose clearly has daddy issues!”

     “Old news, we’ve already dealt with that,” Rey put in with that annoying sly smile of hers, “but you calling Aunt Leia ‘Mummy’…”

     “Hey!” Poe protested. “Mummy is not on the table here!”

     “You did call her mum though,” said Lieutenant Mitaka.

     “You shut up, you’ve done but lie since you were brought here,” Poe snapped.

     Mitaka made a face and shrugged. “Very well, I admit lying about not knowing where the highest ranking officers and the Supreme Leader have set our new headquarters, but calling General Organa mum? That happened.”

     “AHA!” Poe exclaimed and got up from his desk. “He admitted that he lied to us about the First Order positions! It was a trap, all part of my devious master plan!”

     Leia nodded. “I believe you.”

     “Thank you,” said Poe.

     “Son,” Leia added, and Poe made a face while everyone else snickered. “Do you want to talk about it later over a family dinner?”

     “I’d like that,” Poe answered after a short pause, not caring about everyone’s giggles. The main thing was that Mitaka had admitted to lying (even if it had been on an accident, it still felt like a victory). It was so much easier to move on from here. It wasn’t long until Poe finally got him to spit it out.

     “Malachor! They’re orbiting Malachor!”

     “Wait what?”

     Under any other circumstances Poe might’ve swooned over the fact that his space was crowded by _the_ Ahsoka Tano, but not now. Ahsoka was frowning and her eyes darted back and forth from Mitaka to Rey and Leia, and finally to Luke, who also was frowning.

     “Did you say they’re orbiting Malachor?” Ahsoka asked Mitaka, who nodded furiously. Ahsoka paled. “This is bad. This is really bad.”

     “What’s Malachor?” Poe and Rey asked in unison.

     “It’s the planet of the Sith temple,” Luke answered. “As far as I know, Ahsoka’s the only person who has been there and still lives.”

     Rey bit her lip. “And that’s where Kylo Ren is now…” She glanced at Poe and Rose. “I have a really bad feeling about this.”

     “But if they’re only orbiting, it means they haven’t figured out how to get to the Temple,” Ahsoka said. “And I’d rather keep it that way. Malachor is a nasty place.”

     Even with that vague description Poe was certain it wasn’t exactly a dream vacation site, and thankfully he probably never had to set foot in that place. But looking over at all the three Jedi present – no, wait, four. Leia was also carrying a lightsabre now, Poe noted – made him imagine Finn there. And that was not a mental image he liked.

     Rey must’ve picked up the sentiment because she said, “As soon as Finn gets here, we’ll have to brief him and come up with a plan.”

     Ahsoka nodded. “Yes. This just got a lot harder. The Knights of Ren might not be Sith in the traditional sense, but the idea of them anywhere near Malachor is still nothing good.”

     As if on cue, as Poe leaned back on his chair again, he saw Finn walking in. He was chatting with three other people, all of whom actually looked a lot like him. They had to be his family. And two seconds later Poe’s eyes widened. The young woman with long braided hair was Crown Princess Halinor. Poe recognised her from some holonet news coverages. But that meant…

     That Finn was royalty.

     Poe was dating actual royalty.

     For a brief moment Poe imagined Jacen’s face upon hearing this, and he couldn’t help but laugh again. Out of all the things that could’ve happened, it had to be this. Well, Finn seemed happy, and that was the most important part. Force knew he deserved this.

      If only they could’ve avoided the war that was about to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malachor is shown in Rebels season 2 finale. Ahsoka, Kanan Jarrus, and Ezra Bridger fought Darth Vader there. It's not a nice place.
> 
> Next chapter is either Finn or Rey pov, and it's gonna be a good one because we're gonna meet an old friend ;)
> 
> Comments are appreciated ♥


	18. Finn VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet old friends in another world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rubs hands together* I'm soooooo hyped about this chapter!!!! Also have another sobfest where two words are enough to destroy me completely! This is gonna be fun!
> 
> Also Rebels references galore, will be explained at the ending A/N. (and some Return of the Jedi references too because I'm me and it's my favourite movie)
> 
> Once again, big thanks to the lovely and wonderful Kat who patiently listens to my rambles about this fic (and who also helped me solve a certain clothing problem *wink wink*). You're so great, I love you ♥
> 
> Enjoy^^

Finn walked into several things he hadn’t expected. First of all there was Poe, back on his feet. It was the best surprise of course, Finn simply hadn’t thought he’d get rid of the hoverchair this quickly. But it was really great. Second of all was hearing that Leia had resumed with her Jedi training, and it seemed to be a surprise to the entire Resistance, given how everyone’s faces looked when Leia made the announcement. The third and possibly the most unexpected thing was Ahsoka Tano. Even if she didn’t call herself a Jedi, much less a Jedi Master (or wanted to be called the latter), she was an impressive figure, truly living up to what Finn had imagined her to be. He just hadn’t imagined he’d actually ever meet her, even with her ties to Rey’s family.

     “So how about you?” Poe asked when the general astonishment at Leia’s announcement had died down and he had filled Finn in with everything he had missed.

     Finn scratched the back of his neck, terribly conscious that everyone around Poe’s desk had their eyes on him (thankfully Snap and Nova had escorted Lieutenant Mitaka back to his cell block as soon as he had made the confession about Malachor – something that made Finn’s stomach uneasy). “Well, um… I don’t know how much Rey has already told you.”

     “I didn’t say anything, not really,” Rey answered. “But Poe figured out when I told him and Rose what we went to do.”

     Finn nodded. “Okay, good. So, in short the thing is that– that I found my family.”

     As if on cue Halinor, Tressa, and Nabu appeared behind Finn. Hal was the only one who kept any poise; even though they had met everyone yesterday, Tressa and Nabu were apparently still barely containing their excitement about all the legendary Rebel Alliance members.

     “Care to introduce us, brother?” Halinor asked with a sweet smile. Finn chuckled.

     “Poe, these are my siblings, Halinor, Tressa, and Nabu,” he said, and then turned back to his siblings. “This is Poe Dameron, my boyfriend.”

     The trio greeted Poe with the traditional Artorian left-fist-over-right-breast gesture. Poe himself was very taken aback by this and stumbled a lot with his own greeting. It was rather endearing, really.

     “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Halinor said. “We’ve heard a lot about you, both from Finn and the official Resistance channels.”

     “Did you really blow up the Starkiller Base?” Nabu asked, eyes wide as plates.

     “Um,” Poe coughed. “Well, I delivered the final shot but I couldn’t have done it alone.” He gave Finn a look that was nothing short of loving, and Finn felt his cheeks heating up. “If your brother hadn’t been there to take the deflector shields down, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

     “It’s still one of the coolest things ever!” Nabu insisted. “You realise only two people before you have managed to do anything like that and…” Nabu shut his mouth abruptly, having apparently realised that Luke and Lando were both at a hearing distance.

     Finn laughed when Poe shrugged and said, “Yeah apparently there used to be an _I Destroyed a Death Star_ club but they’ve now had to change the name to _I Destroyed a Huge-Ass Planet-Destroying Space Station_ club.”

     Rey buried her face in her hands and muttered something that sounded like “my dads are nerds”. Speaking of whom, Finn’s brain made a quick connection between Luke and Jedi training, remembered his new kyber crystal and that he needed to start building his own lightsabre. Also they probably needed a place to train in, and Finn had no idea if there already were arrangements for such a place.

     After asking Luke about it, it turned out that no such arrangements had been made yet.

     “Yesterday was pretty chaotic with everyone settling down,” Luke said. “The whole training part didn’t even cross my mind.”

     “Or mine,” Ahsoka confessed. “But we do need a place, and quick. There’s close to no time for us at this point. If the Knights of Ren figure out how to get to the Temple… well, I don’t even wanna imagine the consequences.”

     Finn turned to look at his twin sister. “Hal, is there any place in the palace that we could use?”

     Halinor frowned in consideration. “There might just be one, but I’ll have to ask Iya and Mum if it’s okay for you to use.”

     And with that she left to talk to Miriadel and Ayana. With any luck the place she had in mind would be just perfect.

     “Speaking of training,” Luke said, “we need to figure out what to do with your lightsabre.”

     “Oh, that’s not a problem anymore,” Finn answered and pulled his kyber crystal from the breast pocket of his jacket. “I have the crystal.”

     Ahsoka let out a soft gasp. “It’s _purple_ ,” she said. “I haven’t seen a purple blade since Master Windu in Clone Wars.”

     “And that means…?”

     “It means you have a very rare crystal there,” Ahsoka answered with a small smile. “Light blue and green are the most common lightsabre colours, followed by much rarer yellow and darker shades of blue and green for the Jedi. The Sith use almost exclusively red, synthetic crystals. Even my white lightsabre blades are more common than purple.”

     Huh. That was new. Upon taking the crystal Finn had had a feeling he was possessing something special but he had only thought it was his family connection to it. But that the crystal was this rare… Not the first time that day Finn had to take a moment to process everything.

     “So how do I build the actual sabre then?” Finn asked.

     “You meditate on the crystal,” Luke answered. “You should be able to visualise the sabre in your head, and once you have all the components you use the Force to put it together. Rey, show Finn yours for demonstration.”

     Rey put her new dual sabres on the table. They looked vaguely familiar.

     “The hilts are made of the tips of my old staff,” Rey said. Oh, so that was why. “Apparently usually you have a connection to the material the hilts will be made of.”

     Finn couldn’t think of a material he’d have a connection to. Steel, maybe, or dedlanite? Those were what his blasters had been made of. Or plastoid, the material of his old stormtrooper armour. The latter option really didn’t sound tempting. As much as Finn wanted to own his past, there was simply too much pain that he associated with the armour. One day, maybe, but not today. Today, the pain was still too close to him.

     Halinor came back a short while later and said that there was one place that was probably the most ideal for Jedi training. “But Iya and Mum think you ought to see it anyway, so if you would all follow me, please.”

     “I’ll catch up with you later,” Leia said. “I have about a metric tonne of datawork that I need to solve as soon as possible, and even with Lando and Hera it’s going to take a while.”

     “That’s fair,” said Ahsoka, patting Leia’s shoulder. “I think it’s too late for today to even start, so we’ll just check the place and maybe get Finn’s lightsabre-building process started, but any proper combat training moves for tomorrow.”

     Halinor took the four of them to the corridor that led to the Temple, but instead of going down to the underground chamber Finn had been to earlier they stayed on the ground level. Behind the actual Temple there was a smaller hall, hewn into the same rock as the chamber down below, but unlike that chamber this place had murals that seemed ancient. Finn had only had very basic Jedi training, but even with that he could feel the Force strong in this place.

     “This is an old Jedi temple,” Ahsoka gasped, looking around. “I had no idea…”

     “No one outside the royal family does,” said Halinor. “We don’t exactly advertise it, for safety reasons. But my mothers and I figured you all had to know. We haven’t had Jedi here since… I don’t know, it has to have been centuries or even millennia since the last time.”

     Finn and Rey studied a mural on the back wall. It featured three people, two men and a woman. They all were pale and seemed very out of place on Artorias, and there was something about it, something that didn’t feel right...

     The man in the middle of the mural was ancient, there was no other word for it, with a long beard and hands raised. The woman on his left side was much younger, with green hair and greenish white gown, and was very beautiful. There was a small bird creature on her shoulder. And the other man… he was bald, dressed in black, and pale, and made Finn shudder. It was just a mural, but he felt like the man’s red eyes saw right through him. Rey grabbed his hand, shuddering too.

     “Hal, who are these people?” Finn asked, turning to his sister. For his disappointment, Halinor shook her head.

     “No one knows,” Halinor said. “If they had names, they’ve been lost in time. I only know them as the gods. No one worships them anymore, that cult died centuries ago, but this is history so no monarch has done anything to remove the mural.”

     Luke and Ahsoka walked up to where Finn, Halinor, and Rey were standing. Finn noted that Ahsoka frowned at the mural, as if the mural was familiar, as if she was trying to remember something. Luke placed his left hand on it, in between the woman and the ancient man, and jerked back with a small yell of terror.

     His hand had sunken into the wall.

     “What was _that_?” Rey managed to say, eyes wide.

     “I think I know,” said Ahsoka. “And I need to find out if I’m right. Follow me.”

     And with that she stepped right into the wall. Finn glanced at Rey and Luke who were staring at the spot Ahsoka had disappeared into.

     “Well, I’m not gonna let her go on her own,” said Finn. Rey snapped out of her stunned state, looked at Finn, and nodded.

     “Me neither,” she said. “Let’s go.”

     They held hands when they walked into the mural.

     Whatever Finn had expected to see on the other side, it certainly wasn’t anything like what he saw. The place was black but there were lights, like stars but not exactly, the floor was solid but rippled like water, and there were circular frames here and there. Somehow the place was alive but Finn couldn’t describe exactly how.

     And then there were the voices. Nothing more than whispers, ghosts of the past maybe, but they were everywhere, overlapping each other.

     _“So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.”_

_“The Force will be with you. Always.”_

_“I-it’s, um… Rogue. Rogue One.”_

_“That name no longer has any meaning for me.”_

_“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”_

_“You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.”_

_“I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.”_

_“Rebellions are built on hope.”_

_“You were right. I was a coward. But now I know there is something stronger than fear._ Far _stronger– the Force.”_

Ahsoka was standing a few feet from where Finn and Rey had landed. Finn walked up to her, closely followed by Rey, and soon also Luke.

     “Where are we?” Finn asked. “Mast– Ahsoka?”

     “The world between worlds,” answered Ahsoka. “I’ve been here before for a short time. Ezra saved my life, pulled me out of Malachor when I would’ve otherwise died. I wonder…”

     They walked onwards in silence, the only noise being the low whispering voices. Every now and then Finn imagined he recognised some of them, but he couldn’t tell for certain. Their footsteps rippled the floor, and whenever they passed a circular frame… they saw people in them.

     “The past, the present, and the future,” said a voice behind them.

     They all startled, and Rey pulled out her lightsabres. The speaker was a man, about Luke’s age, with oddly bluish black hair with a dash of grey in it, long beard, bright blue eyes, and coppery skin. He had two scars on his left cheek and wore… apparently only a loincloth. Ahsoka covered her mouth with her hand, and Finn was sure there were tears glistening in her eyes.

     “Who are you?” Rey asked with a frown, ready to ignite her sabres.

     “Jabba the Hutt,” the man answered with an easy smile, and for some reason Finn was certain that this man meant them no harm. Also it was hard to feel threatened by someone who was only wearing a loincloth.

     Luke scoffed. “Yeah, sure, and I’m Hondo Ohnaka.”

     Ahsoka shook her head, looking like she was somewhere in between laughing and crying. Luke took one step forward, returning the other man’s smile.

     “You’re Ezra Bridger, aren’t you?”

     “That’s me, and you’re Luke Skywalker,” said Ezra. “Yeah, I know who you guys are, I’ve kept an eye on all of you here. Trust me, it’s a pain when you know you can’t interfere, when you know you… can’t change anything.” He looked over at Ahsoka. “Good to see you, Ahsoka.”

     “You too,” Ahsoka answered. “I have about a million questions for you, but let’s start with the easiest. What the hell are you wearing?”

     Ezra just shrugged. “Time is an illusion and so are pants. Also it’s not as if I’ve been able to shop, I’ve been here for thirty-five years.”

     Luke took off his black Jedi robe and passed it to Ezra without a word.

     “Thanks,” said Ezra. “Anyway, I ended up here shortly after the Liberation of Lothal. Don’t know how, one moment I was in hyperspace with Thrawn and then the other… I was here. Tried to get back but for some reason I couldn’t.”

     “Well,” Ahsoka sighed, “that explains why Sabine and I couldn’t find you no matter where we looked. Do you think you could get out of here with us?”

     Ezra shrugged again. “Dunno, but I’m taking that chance.”

     Finn glanced at Rey with a smile. Rey squeezed his hand with an equally wide smile. If this worked, if they could get Ezra to come back to the real universe with them… they’d have six Jedi, more than there had been for years. They might actually stand a proper chance against the Knights of Ren.

     “Alright, we came in from here, so maybe that path still works,” Finn said, pointing at the corridor behind them. While this place had its own odd beauty, being stuck here didn’t sound very appealing. And they did have a war to win.

     They were almost at the point where they had got in when there was a ripple across the floor – but it felt like a small earthquake. Finn grabbed Rey’s hand and they held each other until it had passed. But when it had, Luke, Ahsoka, and Ezra were nowhere to be seen.

     Rey sounded like she was starting to hyperventilate. “Finn?”

     “I don’t know,” Finn answered. “We better get moving, if they’re trying to find us. It’s gonna be okay, we’ll find them.”

     Finn wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Rey or himself, but it worked. They walked on, hoping that this was just something that sometimes happened here and they would find the others soon. Everything was going to be alright. They’d find the others and get the hell out of this place.

     A shout made both Finn and Rey turn on their heels.

     “ _Ben!_ ”

     There it was, in one of the circular frames. The moment that had given both of them nightmares. The moment that had changed _everything_ for them. The moment when Kylo Ren murdered Han Solo. Next to Finn Rey was shaking from anger, he could feel it. There it was, happening all over again, and there was nothing… actually, maybe this time there was something they could do.

     “ _I’m being torn apart_ ,” said Kylo Ren, and Finn barely suppressed the desire to barf. Through the Force he could sense that Rey shared the sentiment. “ _I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?_ ”

     “ _Yes, anything_ ,” Han answered, and approached his son.

     Almost as if on a reflex, right before Kylo Ren ignited his lightsabre to run Han through with it, Finn and Rey reached into the frame and pulled Han to them by his shoulders, partially with the Force. It sounded like glass had broken, only there were no shards on the floor, just a very disoriented Han Solo.

     “Finn? Rey? What the hell?” he asked, holding his head.

     “It’s a really long story,” said Finn, offering Han his hand. Han took it, and Finn pulled him up.

     “We saved you,” Rey managed to let out. She was blinking tears from her eyes. “Kylo Ren… he was going to kill you.”

     “Yeah, I had that figured out,” Han snorted. “Never thought I’d have to add my own son on my list of people who have made attempts at my life.”

     Rey shook her head. “No, he really did kill you, originally. We saw it. It’s… hard to explain, but you were dead. For real.”

     “Huh.” That was the only thing Han said for a good while (understandable, Finn couldn’t imagine many other ways to react to being told that until five seconds ago you were officially dead), until he asked, “Where are we?”

     “The world between worlds,” Finn answered. “We came here with Luke and Ahsoka, but we got separated. We were trying to find them but… this happened instead.”

     Han frowned. “Luke? You mean… you found him?”

     Rey nodded with a small smile. “Yeah. And I know the truth about myself now too. I found my fathers.”

     “You guys found my message, then?”

     “Uh, well, we did, but I found them on my own before that.”

     “Oh.” Han scratched his head. “Well, it’s the thought that counts, I guess. Glad you’re both okay. What have I missed, you know, while I apparently was dead?”

     Finn and Rey took turns in giving Han a full recap on what had happened during the past three or four months. When Finn mentioned in passing, along with the news about his family, that he had started to use Solo as his last name Han actually hugged him. It was one of the best hugs Finn had ever had. Han didn’t comment it in any other way, but what Finn picked up from his feelings made it clear that he was both proud and more than a little moved.

     And then Rey said that she was going to race the _Falcon_ against the _Ghost_ if she and Jacen Syndulla both survived the war, and that sparked something in Han.

     “You better win against the Syndulla kid,” he said. “Hera made me say once that _Ghost_ is a better ship than _Falcon_ and I haven’t forgiven her since.”

     Rey made finger guns. “You got it, Uncle Han.”

     Han chuckled a little and tousled Rey’s hair. “You haven’t called me that in ages. I didn’t even realise I’d missed how it sounds.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So, anyway, what now?”

     “Well, we really need to find Luke, Ahsoka, and Ezra, and get out of here,” Finn said, and his hand went to his kyber crystal, safely tucked in his pocket. “The Resistance is currently located on Artorias and there was this Temple through which we got here, somehow. If we’re away for much longer everyone’s gonna start worrying.”

     As none of them had a better idea, they continued walking onwards. Han asked how everyone had been, and seemed pleased to hear that everyone was still in one piece, but was clearly avoiding asking about Leia, at least directly. Oh boy, _Leia_. Also now that Finn thought about it, he had no idea how this sudden rescue was going to affect their current present. But he also knew that if he could do it all over again, he’d still go for saving Han.

     That was how a family worked, after all.

     Han was the first family, besides Rey, that Finn had ever had.

     Speaking of family, Finn wasn’t sure how long they had walked, but finally, _finally_ , they heard Luke and Ahsoka calling for him and Rey. A wave of relief washed over both of them and soon they could see the two of them and Ezra approaching them.

     “What happened?” Ahsoka asked instantly.

     “We were worried sick when you two suddenly vanished somewhere,” Luke continued, partially speaking over Ahsoka, looking at Rey from head to toe probably to check if she had been injured, and his voice sounded half an octave higher than usual. “Thank goodness you’re both alright and– _Han?!_ ”

     And there it was. Han waved his hand with a sheepish smile. “Hey, kid.”

     For a moment there was only silence, and then Luke took a step forward and hugged Han. He seemed to have lost most of his ability to form words because the only thing he was able to say was, “How… _how…?_ ”

     “I don’t know,” Han answered, and his voice trembled from emotion. “Somehow Rey and Finn saved me.”

     “Did you pull him out?” Ezra asked, paying now proper attention on Finn and Rey for the first time. Finn and Rey nodded in tandem. “Yeah, thought as much. That was how I saved Ahsoka, back in the day.”

     Finn bit his lip before asking, “Was it… okay? I mean, it won’t cause a weird time-space collapse or anything?”

     Ezra made a face. “Dunno, it’s only been done once before, but my saving Ahsoka didn’t destroy anything so… fingers crossed?”

     “At any case it can’t be undone,” Ahsoka added. “But I don’t see what harm could come of it.”

     “So how are we doing?” Han asked after he and Luke finally let go of each other. The whole thing reminded Finn of how he had felt when he and Rey had seen each other again on Crait.

     Luke shrugged. “Same as always.”

     “That bad, huh?” Finn and Rey both snorted a laugh. Han crossed his arms. “Is… is Leia doing okay?”

     “She’s… holding up,” Luke said, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “Lando’s been trying to ease her workload, but you know Leia. If she wants something done she does it herself.”

     Han covered his mouth with his hand and took several deep breaths. “Oh crap. I really shouldn’t have taken that risk, try to reason with Ben…”

     “You couldn’t have known,” Rey put in. “And if it makes you feel any better, I made the same mistake. It was so stupid.”

     Finn glanced at Rey. She had mentioned this before but hadn’t shared any details, apart from the fact that she had fought Kylo Ren on the First Order dreadnaught while Finn and Rose had tried and failed to complete their undercover mission. But whatever Kylo Ren had told Rey, she wouldn’t talk about. Finn had asked, but Rey had only changed the subject.

     “Anyway,” Finn interjected to take attention off Rey before she was asked any uncomfortable questions, “is there a way out of here? I’ve no idea how long we’ve been here but I feel we should be starting to get out about now before anyone starts to worry.” He paused. “Scratch that, Hal probably worries already.”

     “Well, if my Force senses aren’t failing me completely, there’s an exit somewhere over there,” Ezra said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. “Maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to get out. I needed you guys to boost my Force sensitivity.”

     “That reminds me,” Han said, “who the hell are you?”

     Ezra grinned. “I guess you wouldn’t believe me if I said I was Jabba the Hutt?”

     Han tilted his head as if to say, _Well, duh_.

     “I’m Ezra Bridger,” Ezra said, now with more seriousness. “Hera might’ve mentioned me.”

     A light of recognition lit in Han’s eyes. “Yeah, she did once, in passing. It made her wince, like you were an unpleasant memory or something, so I didn’t press it.”

     “That’s one way to describe it,” Ezra shrugged. “Anyway, shall we?”

     Han’s presence seemed to be a common mood-booster for everyone. Finn himself was relieved that he had been able to do something this time, instead of just standing there and watch Kylo Ren murder yet another innocent person (the events on Jakku still haunted him occasionally). There was also a noticeable change in Luke’s demeanour. He seemed younger, somehow, more relaxed than before.

     There was peace, Finn realised, and when Han wrapped his arm around his shoulder, also belonging.

     Funny how these things happened. For the vast majority of his life Finn hadn’t felt like he had belonged anywhere, even with his fellow troopers (especially with them) and now he had two families. And it felt so right, like it should’ve always been that way.

     Suddenly Luke turned, frowning at one of the circular frames. After getting Han out of one Finn hadn’t paid any attention on them, but now…

     “Father?” Rey said softly before taking a look at the frame herself. A wave of grief came off of her, one of the strongest feelings Finn had ever picked up from her.

     Right there in the frame were three people, two men and a woman, in Imperial uniforms, dragging away a small struggling girl. A fifth person, a teenaged boy with a blue lightsabre, tried to fight them off but was shot at his arm, forced to give up the fight, and the girl, screaming so that it broke Finn’s heart, was being dragged to a shuttle.

     It was the day Rey had been taken away from her fathers.

     “So that’s how…” Rey breathed, clutching on Luke’s hand.

     “It’s even worse than I remembered,” Luke said, and his hand moved like he wasn’t sure whether to reach out or not. “And now… with Han…”

     “You shouldn’t.”

     Everyone turned around to look at Ezra, who had a pained expression on his face. “Trust me, I know exactly how that feels, Luke. I had a chance at saving my Master, Kanan.”

     “Why didn’t you?” Finn asked.

     “Because if I had, the explosion he died in would’ve killed me and Hera.” Ezra sighed. “And we can’t know how it would affect the present if this past is changed. Worst happens, everyone ends up dead. Besides,” Ezra glanced at Han and Ahsoka, who nodded in what Finn sensed to be agreement, “we’ve changed the past enough for one day.”

     Luke glanced back at the frame. The five-year-old Rey was gone now, and the pressure coming from the shuttle taking off threw the remaining three people – Luke, Lando, and young Kylo Ren, Finn realised with a start – off their balance.

     “Papa,” Rey said, her voice barely more than a whisper, but everyone seemed to hear her, “let’s go back. Dad’s waiting.”

     That plea, like a child at prayer, seemed to make Luke snap out of it. He pressed his forehead against Rey’s and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Rey, about everything.”

     “I know, Papa,” Rey answered. “I’d change that too if I could. But we’re together now, and we need to go back.”

     “Rey’s right,” Han said. “I know I’m the worst person to say this right now, but… we can’t change that, and it’s not worth the risk.”

     Finn put his hand on Luke’s shoulder, offering what he hoped to be an encouraging smile. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world between worlds is first featured in a Rebels episode of the same name, in which Ezra saves Ahsoka (who probably otherwise would've died by the hand of Darth Vader). The episode is one of the best in Rebels.
> 
> The people in the mural are so-called [Force-wielders](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_wielder) (or Mortis gods - this arc in Clone Wars is its whole own can of worms and too long to explain here). Ezra went through a similar mural to get to the world between worlds.
> 
> Anyway, that episode confirmed that Force time travel was somewhat possible and then this idea came to me. Initially I was on the edge, figuring it would be too much playing God, but I also wasn't ready to say goodbye to Han, and then Kat said the magic words, "It would really piss Kyle off." So Han is back and hoo boy am I gonna have a field day when he's reunited with Leia, Chewie, and Lando (*kill bill sirens* SOBFEST)
> 
> (Also btw the two words that destroyed me were "Hey, kid." What I wouldn't give to hear them again)
> 
> (And for some reason Han is always out of it for a little while and everyone starts to get delusions of grandeur lmao)
> 
> (And honestly if I'd planned this better when I started this fic what Rey calls Lando and Luke wouldn't have been switched around but I'd already settled on her calling Lando "Dad" and because of that and Internet being a terrible place I couldn't have her calling Luke "Daddy". So... here we are, but I also think it fits better this way)
> 
> Comments are appreciated as always^^


	19. Leia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help announces itself from an unexpected source, and Leia is reunited with her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY THE RETURN OF HOPE! One year ago I started to publish this 100% self-indulgent beautiful mess and I can't believe it's still on-going. So thank you everyone who has commented and given this fic love, I couldn't have done it without you.
> 
> Extra big thanks to ladyoakenshields, Gothicelvenqueen, and diemarysues, for your beautiful comments ♥
> 
> And just so you know, we're heading into sobfest territory again, so brace yourselves. Tears are coming.

Leia looked up from her datapad to look over the newly-formed Resistance. They numbered only around 200, which wasn’t optimal by far; there were far too few pilots to match the numbers of the First Order, too few officers, too few everything. But they had had task forces do with less than that. The Rebel Alliance itself had been born from several smaller ragtag groups. They had always been the underdog. And if anything, they now had one clear advantage, one that the Alliance had never had.

     They had four Jedi (well, five, but Leia still struggled in counting herself as one, even if she just about knew what she was doing), all in the same place. For a long time the Jedi had been a symbol of hope, and symbols were powerful, and Leia knew that more than well. Maybe they wouldn’t win against the First Order or the Knights of Ren, but at least they weren’t going to go down without a fight, and they would bring the galaxy hope. And they had been at worse odds too.

     Around the officers’ desk Zeb Orrelios and Alexsandr Kallus were giving out a report on First Order activity on some Outer Rim planets and that just before leaving Lothal for Artorias Sabine and Ketsu had, with some help from their Mandalorian friends, blown up a Star Destroyer that had been jamming all communications to and from Lothal after the destruction of the comm tower.

     “But there’s no telling if they’ll come here too,” Zeb said. “You never know with the Mandalorians.”

     “Indeed,” Kallus added. “And Sabine said the only reason they helped on Lothal was because she asked them.”

     One of the communicators beeped all of the sudden, interrupting the report. Leia’s glance went from Zeb and Kallus to Lando, Chewie, Miriadel, Ayana, and Hera, who all shrugged, completely baffled. They weren’t expecting any messages from anyone or anyone to come. Hera and Kallus had told them that they had sent calls to some former allies besides the Mandalorians but had got no response.

     Leia opened the connection. “This is _Home One_ on Artorias receiving, identify yourself please.”

     Whatever response they had been expecting, it definitely was not this one.

     “ _Yoo-hoo! It is I, Hondo Ohnaka! I bring reinforcements!_ ”

     “Oh no,” Zeb said.

     “Why him,” Kallus groaned, planting his palm on his face.

     “I have a bad feeling about this,” Hera agreed.

     Hondo Ohnaka, the infamous Weequay pirate really wasn’t the most optimal ally, Leia thought, but what choice did they have? Any help was better than none, even coming from Hondo. And from what Leia had heard, Hondo had gone up against a Sith lord in his day and survived, so pirate or no, she’d rather he sided with the Resistance than the First Order. A quick look to Lando and Chewie told Leia that they agreed.

     Leia put her datapad down. “Would you please hold, Mr Ohnaka?” she asked.

     “ _Mr? That’s a new one_ ,” came the reply. “ _But I will hold._ ”

     “Thank you,” Leia said and turned her attention to Miriadel and Ayana. “This is your planet. What do you think?”

     Ayana tilted her head, giving the final word to the Queen. Miriadel didn’t seem too delighted, but she sighed, rubbing her brow, and said, “Hondo Ohnaka can step on this planet, but I don’t want any of his pirates here. We are not taking any risks of them causing havoc in that regard.”

     Leia nodded and then called to the desk near to hers, “Poe, Jacen, would you come over please?”

     Poe and Jacen got up and walked over, Rose behind them, probably out of curiosity. Well, she might as well hear this too.

     “What is it?” Poe asked.

     “You’ll never guess who just called,” Hera said. “Hondo. Out of all the people in the galaxy, Hondo got our distress call. He said he’s bringing reinforcements, whatever that means.”

     Rose frowned. “As in Hondo Ohnaka, the pirate?”

     “Same guy,” Zeb confirmed.

     “We need someone to receive him,” Leia put in to bring the conversation back to the actual topic. “Poe, you’re a vice-admiral, and Hondo knows you, Jacen, so could you two do it?”

     Poe and Jacen glanced at each other. Jacen shrugged and Poe nodded.

     “Sure thing, General,” Poe said. “Zeb and Kallus ought to come too, just so he can be sure we mean business.”

     That was actually a good idea. Hondo may not have been intimidated by them, but Zeb easily frightened people who had never seen a Lasat before, and even with his cane Kallus was still one of the tallest and most intimidating people in the Resistance. Hondo’s band of pirates would know they meant business alright.

     Miriadel repeated her conditions to Poe and Jacen, who saluted, and Hera told them to take the _Ghost_. Hondo knew the ship, it was safer to go with it than an X-wing.

     After Poe and Jacen had left for the hangar, followed by Zeb, Kallus, and Rose who had volunteered to go with them, Miriadel sighed again and said, “Well… I suppose this is better than no help at all.”

     “Hondo is about as respectable as pirates go,” Hera answered. “During the Civil War he helped liberate Lothal, even though he knew the risks. He also brags about besting a Sith lord, but that might just be him bragging. He does that.”

     “ _At least it’s him and not someone more questionable_ ,” Chewie growled, and Leia was inclined to agree when she translated this.

     “As long as they keep to their ships,” Ayana said. “Or at least I hope it is plural. Hard to trust a pirate.”

     Suddenly there was a lot of noise coming from the entrance. Crown Princess Halinor had arrived, apparently running as she was holding her hand over her chest and tried to catch her breath. Miriadel and Ayana rushed over to her, and Leia followed. Halinor had left to show something to Luke, Rey, Finn, and Ahsoka, so something must have happened.

     “Halinor, ololufẹ,” Miriadel said, touching her daughter’s shoulder. “What is the matter?”

     “I don’t know what happened, Iya,” Halinor answered. “They were looking at the mural of the gods and then they… they disappeared into it. Just like that. I… I can’t explain it.”

     Leia didn’t need the Force to feel that Lando had tensed, and she too felt terror climb up her spine. No, no, not this soon after finally getting her brother and niece back…

     Leia took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to think clearly, she couldn’t jump into conclusions just based on this. “Would you show us?” she asked Halinor.

     Halinor glanced at her mothers who nodded. “Alright, follow me,” she said and walked out of the room. While walking through the corridor to the Temple Leia realised that Lando was holding her hand. For that moment it brought Leia comfort. They’d get through this, one way or another – first they just had to find out what exactly had happened.

     Halinor led them to a small chamber behind the actual Temple. Miriadel turned to look at Leia, Lando, Chewie, and Hera, and told them, “A very long time ago this place used to be a Jedi Temple. We haven’t had Jedi here for centuries and no one outside the royal family knows this place even exists, but given all the new Jedi presence I felt like this would be an optimal place for you to train in.”

     Then she turned back to her daughter. “Halinor, where did you say they disappeared?”

     Halinor pointed at the mural featuring three people on the back wall. “There, they walked into the mural and haven’t come back.”

     Hera frowned at the mural. “That’s funny,” she said. “Sabine told me Ezra disappeared into a similar one on Lothal during the Civil War. There was a Jedi Temple there too, once upon a time. She said the mural was just like this one.”

     “But he came back, didn’t he?” Lando asked, and only a trained ear heard the panic in his tone. Leia was surprised he was keeping himself together at all.

     “He did, yes,” Hera answered, “but the Temple disappeared not long after. I don’t know what happened any better than this, unfortunately.”

     Then, out of the blue, a ring one of the three figures (the green-haired woman) was holding started to roll. They all took a step back as the rolling got faster and faster.

     “ _What’s happening?_ ” Chewie howled.

     “I don’t know!” Halinor exclaimed, evidently understanding the context of Chewie’s question. “It’s never done that before, I–”

     Before Halinor was able to finish her sentence, with a huge crash six people emerged from the ring. Rey and Finn were the first, followed by Ahsoka and a dark-haired man who Leia recognised with a start as Ezra Bridger. She had only met him once but even with the beard there was no mistaking him. And finally they were followed by Luke and… no. _No._ Leia covered her mouth with her hand.

     _It couldn’t be._

     Rey was the first one up on her feet. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am _not_ doing that again.”

     Without noticing the entourage in the room she leaned in to help Finn up. Next to them Luke rolled his shoulder. “Yeah, one time was enough for me too,” he said.

     Leia paid no attention to this exchange as she was trying to figure out if this was real or not. She had felt him die, she had, to her best ability, made her peace with it. If this was an illusion now, it was a cruel one. Through the Force she sensed that Chewie and Lando were going through the exact same feelings.

     Hera was the first one to move. “Ezra!” she exclaimed and ran to hug him.

     “Wha– Hera!” Ezra got out. “You’re here!”

     Hera pulled back and took Ezra’s face between her hands. “Yes, I’m here, and you have so much to tell.”

     Maybe it was Hera’s example that got Chewie moving as well. And seeing the whole thing finally got Leia convinced that this was not an illusion. This was real.

     Han was there. And Chewie had completely engulfed him.

     “Alright, buddy, alright,” Han said and sounded like his mouth was full of Wookiee’s hair. “I’m fine, calm down.”

     Lando took one step closer, glaring at Han, who Chewie had now let go of. “Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no good swindler,” he said, crossing his arms. “You got a lot of guts coming back here after what you pulled.”

     Even with all her emotions Leia couldn’t help but chuckle. How very typical of Lando to greet his best friend who they all had thought to be dead with _that_ line. Han grinned, and Lando hugged him. Leia found she still couldn’t move.

     “How?” Lando asked as he pressed his forehead against Han’s.

     “I’m not sure,” Han answered, “I just know that Rey and Finn somehow pulled me out. She’s pretty damn amazing, your daughter.”

     “Of course she is.” Lando hugged Han once more. “Good to have you back.”

     “Good to be back,” Han said, and then, for the first time, he met Leia’s eyes. For a moment Leia felt like she couldn’t breathe.

     Han let go of Lando and never looked away from Leia as he approached her. Leia still couldn’t move. The logical side of her kept telling her that this was real, but the more emotional side, the side she usually kept in check, felt that if she moved this might all turn out to be a dream.

     Now Han was right in front of Leia, and she couldn’t hold herself together anymore. She threw herself into Han’s arms and let every emotion she had kept bottled up pour out. All the tears she hadn’t shed because there hadn’t been time to grieve now poured down as Leia leaned against her husband’s chest and breathed in the familiar smell.

     “Leia,” Han breathed with a shaky, thick voice. “Oh, Leia.”

     “It _is_ you,” Leia managed to say. “You’re back.”

     “I’m back,” Han agreed, pressing a kiss into Leia’s hair. “And I’m not leaving you again. Ever.”

     Leia let out a teary laugh and leaned up to kiss Han. It felt like a million years ago when she had last done that and yet it felt like no time had passed at all. Everything was falling back together, somehow. Han was there, kissing her back, for real. It wasn’t an illusion or a dream. She kept holding Han when they finally had to break apart to catch some air and pay attention to what was happening in the room.

     Ahsoka stared at the mural and said, “We need to seal the portal, like you did on Lothal, Ezra.”

     “I’ll do it.”

     Finn stepped up, letting go of his mothers and sister. Leia looked back at the mural and nodded. Yes, the portal needed to be sealed. They couldn’t risk anything or anyone else coming through it, even though she was quite positive that the First Order didn’t know the world between worlds even existed. But it was better to be safe.

     “Be careful, Finn,” said Ezra. “When I sealed the portal on Lothal, it knocked me out for several hours.”

     “I understand,” Finn answered. “But this is my home, it should be me.”

     “Alright.” Ezra made a face as he looked at the mural. “On Lothal I had to press the hand of the Son, that is, the man on the right. So try that.”

     Finn did, but nothing happened. The mural remained as it was.

     “Try the Daughter,” Ahsoka said. “Maybe Artorias does things the other way around.”

     Finn swallowed but moved to face the green-haired woman and pressed his hand on hers. The Force hummed and the Daughter’s eyes glowed green. Finn lost his balance and was narrowly caught by Chewie, but he had done it. The portal was closing. The whole mural was fading away from the wall. Rey and Halinor rushed to see how Finn was and given how they kept repeating his name it was clear that Finn had lost his consciousness.

     “We better move,” Ezra said. “When I did this on Lothal, the whole temple vanished.”

     “Is Finn gonna be okay?” Halinor asked with desperation. Ezra put his hand on her shoulder and assured her that Finn was probably knocked out for a few hours but that he would be fine.

     “But seriously, let’s move,” he added. “Just in case.”

     Han had his arm around Leia’s back the whole way back to their living quarters. Chewie took Finn to the medbay and was tagged along by Halinor, Miriadel and Ayana. Hera and Ezra split from the main group at some point too, saying that they had to go see Sabine and Ketsu. Ahsoka decided to go with them. That left Leia and Han with Luke, Lando, and Rey.

     “Do you two want a moment?” Lando asked.

     Leia and Han nodded.

     “If you don’t mind,” Leia said.

     “No, you do you,” Lando grinned. “If you need us, I’ll be grilling these two for answers in my and Luke’s quarters.”

     Rey rolled her eyes and Luke sighed, “You make it sound like we make a habit of keeping secrets.”

     As soon as Leia and Han were left alone, Leia kissed Han again. She no longer feared that if she stopped touching him he might’ve been taken away from her again. Han was there, and that was all that mattered.

     “You look good,” Han said when they broke apart. “I like your hair.”

     Leia smiled and felt like a twenty-year-old when she touched the braids in the back of her head. She had worn her hair a similar way in Hoth, where she had first realised that she loved Han. Could this be called fate, she didn’t know.

     “You look good too,” Leia said. “A bit rough around the edges, but good.”

     “Are you alright?” Han asked. “Luke mentioned that you’ve been over-working yourself, and…”

     Leia cut Han off with another kiss. “Right now,” she answered, “I’m more alright than I’ve been for a good long while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated ♥


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